Invisible
by InuApril1445
Summary: When Kagome is no longer seen and Sesshomaru's senses are going haywire, the two must pair up to try to find the cause of their sorrows. But, love is coming. Can Kagome break through Sesshomaru's passiveness? Read. Review. Comment. Enjoy! Sess/Kag
1. Chapter 1

**_No, I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters._**

**_Please, this is my first fanfic, so please review it! :)_**

"Lord Sesshomaru, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin jumped and dance next to the dai youkai, trying to get his attention. Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow, showing her that he was paying attention. "Lord Sesshomaru, look at what I found!" Little Rin opened her palm, reaching up toward Sesshomaru. He crouched down, meeting her eyes on the way. She smiled openly, in a way that only children can.

Sesshomaru looked down at the girl's palm to see a large, purple shard. Both his eyebrows arched, the only hint of his surprise. "Jaken," he said, beckoning toward the imp.

Jaken stumbled over, falling on his way. He got immediately, mumbling, "Y-yes, milord?" Then Jaken looked into Rin's hand. "W-why, milord, that is a sacred jewel shard!"

"Yes," Sesshomaru said, taking the shard from Rin gently. Rin smiled again, then skipped back toward Ah-Un, the two headed dragon.

"Well, what do you plan to do with it?" Jaken asked, following Sesshomaru at his feet. When no answer came, Jaken went back to Ah-Un and Rin, a little dismayed at his lord's silence. _What did I expect?_ He thought.

That night, nearby, Kagome gasped. "What is it?" InuYasha asked.

"I sense a sacred jewel shard," she explained, getting up. "And, it's coming from Sesshomaru."

"What?" InuYasha exclaimed. His brother had no desire for any shards of the Shikon no Tama as far as he knew. "Wait, where do you think you're going?" InuYasha asked, watching Kagome get up and start walking toward the outskirts of their camp. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo watched with interest.

"I'm going to get it," Kagome said, stopping only to pick up her bow and arrows. "He's standing still nearby here. He must have smelled us out and come to give it to us. He probably doesn't want a fight." She looked over at InuYasha. "Which is exactly why you're not coming." InuYasha tried to argue, but she just glared at him, as if saying, _I'll say 'sit' if you keep this up. _"You guys don't get along. We don't need another battle."

"At least let us come, Lady Kagome," Miroku said. But Kagome shook her head.

"If we all go, then Sesshomaru might think we've come to attack. You just wait here with InuYasha. I'll be back soon." And so, Kagome went into the forest, was quickly enveloped with trees, and disappeared from even InuYasha's sight.


	2. Chapter 2

Kagome could sense Sesshomaru's demonic aura, made stronger by the jewel shard's presence. Slowly, she made her way through the thick forest, following a trail that only she could see.

She could see Sesshomaru by the light of the full moon. He was staring at the sky, seemingly unaware of her presence. Kagome knew better, though. His senses were sharper than his half-brother, InuYasha's.

"Hi, Sesshomaru." Kagome walked up beside him, then stared into the stars with him, trying to see what he saw.

"InuYasha's not with you," Sesshomaru remarked. Kagome looked over at him. He still hadn't even glanced at her.

"He was busy," Kagome said, turning back to the sky. She heard Sesshomaru scoff. She turned back to him. Before she could say anything, he took out a large shard. "That's a shard of the Shikon no Tama." It wasn't a question. Kagome had never seen one so large. The two shards she was carrying around her neck combined weren't as large as the one in Sesshomaru's palm.

"This Sesshomaru has no need for such trifles." Kagome slowly extended her hand and accepted the shard. Sesshomaru's eyes widened at that point, but Kagome didn't say anything about it.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru," Kagome said, bowing. She slowly back away, then headed back through the forest, the way she had come.

Sesshomaru stared back into the stars. Never before had he seen the air shift as it had when the Shikon no Tama's shard had left his hand and went into that girl's. _Something isn't right._ He thought. Slowly, he turned and headed back to the clearing in which he had left the sleeping Rin and Jaken. There they were, huddled onto Ah-Un.

Kagome, however, had no such qualms. _Another shard. We must be getting close to finishing the whole jewel. Naraku won't know what hit him._ But, there was one more problem that she had to solve for the night.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome went back to the clearing. Immediately, she saw a very unhappy InuYasha. "What?" she asked, putting down her bow and arrows. She pulled out the glass bottle in which she kept her jewel shards. She undid the lid and put the new shard with its kin.

"You're not even going to say how it went?" InuYasha asked. His foot was tapping impatiently.

"It went well." Taking a deep breath, Kagome looked him in the eye. "Speaking of wells, I have to go back to my time." Sango, Miroku, and Shippo shared a glance. They knew how this would end.

"What! Why?" InuYasha yelled. Kagome glared at him.

"We're running out of bandages and snacks. Besides, there's a big test in a week, and I need my book to study. I'm not asking to stay for a week. Just a day." InuYasha shook his head. Kagome got up and stood on top of him. "What? I just say home and you automatically ignore the rest of the conversation."

"I don't need no stinking bandages!" InuYasha exclaimed.

"Sit boy!" Kagome shouted. InuYasha fell to the ground, his arm flailing in the air. "You won't be saying that next time we get into a battle."

Shippo started whispering to Sango and Miroku. "You'd think he'd learn by now."

Shaking his head, Miroku got up and said, "Of course. Kagome, you can go back home. We _all_ appreciate your bandages and ninja food. Right, InuYasha?" Miroku kicked InuYasha, who growled, "Why you…"

Kagome got into her sleeping bag. _Today went very well._

The next day, Kagome got up with a yawn and stretch. She always enjoyed waking up in feudal Japan. She looked around for a moment, taking in the view. But, there was a problem. It took her a moment before she realized what was missing.

"InuYasha? Miroku? Sango? Shippo? Kirara?" Kagome was all alone.


	3. Chapter 3

"Come on, guys! Where are you?" But, by now, Kagome knew it was pointless. If they were anywhere nearby, her friends would have answered by now. _Where could they have gone?_ Kagome started packing her backpack, marking things off of her mental checklist as she went through her bag. Nothing had been stolen. Lastly, Kagome pulled off her necklace with the glass bottle containing the sacred jewel shards. She gasped, nearly dropping the container in the process.

The sacred jewel shards were gone!

_Calm down, Kagome_, she thought over and over, slowing her breathing. _InuYasha must have taken them when he left._ But where had he gone? All Kagome could do was walk and hope to come across her friends' trail.

It was a couple of hours before Kagome stopped walking. She sensed a demonic aura, a strong one, coming toward her. At first, Kagome stiffened, worrying that a battle was coming. She reached for her arrows, but relaxed once she recognized the daiyoukai's power. She started running, hoping against hope that Sesshomaru would know where InuYasha and the others had gone.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome exclaimed, not even trying to conceal her smile. "Oh, thank goodness."

Sesshomaru stopped, honoring Kagome with a glance. He raised an eyebrow. Obviously, he was a little curious as to what the priestess was doing out here, without the hanyou to protect her.

"Sesshomaru," Kagome said again, stopping right in front of him. "Nice to see you again. You wouldn't have seen InuYasha and my friends today, have you?" A twinge of urgency entered her words.

Sesshomaru looked at her for a moment, then responded, "No." Sesshomaru frowned, then started walking away. "But there scent is coming from that direction." Sesshomaru pointed to the east. Immediately, Kagome stopped frowning.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru. Thank you so much." Kagome turned, then started walking in the direction in which Sesshomaru had pointed. _ I didn't know he was so nice. Two acts in less than twenty-four hours? Who would've known!_

"Lord Sesshomaru, who are you talking to?" Kagome freezed, turning to see Rin on top of Ah-Un.

"Yes, milord," Jaken added. "Who's there?" Jaken and Rin were looking around curiously. Kagome walked right up to them.

"Hello? I'm right here." She waved her hand in front of them. Not even a blink.

Sesshomaru didn't show any signs of concern. Kagome bit her lip. "Um, this is weird." Kagome turned around, contemplating matters. She started walking in the direction that Sesshomaru had pointed.

"Follow me." Sesshomaru started walking behind her. Kagome turned around, surprised. _What is the world coming to?_ She wondered. But, now, she had greater concerns on her mind.

Meanwhile, Sesshomaru couldn't help wondering what had caused this. He knew that only a large amount of power could make someone invisible others. He was sure that the only reason he could see the priestess was because of his higher senses and his status as a daiyoukai. Still... _This will be worth observation_. He thought.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure you should be following me?" Kagome asked for the fifth time. Sesshomaru didn't respond, as usual. She sighed, looking around her again.

Sesshomaru had followed her into the village, even though she insisted that he should wait by the Bone Eaters Well with Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Un. Now, all the villagers were staring, though not at her. Sesshomaru ignored them in a very Sesshomaru-like manner, sometimes glaring if a hand started pointing at him.

Kagome walked in front of him, heading in the direction of the now-familiar hut. Sesshomaru just stared ahead.

Finally, Kagome reached Kaede's hut. Normally a place of comfort and friendship, Kagome could not ever remember being so nervous just to enter. Still, she had to make sure that her theory was right...or wrong. Hopefully, it would be wrong.

Before going in, Kagome gave Sesshomaru a look that said, "Don't you dare go in here!" Sesshomaru, as per usual, ignored her. Still, Kagome was relieved when he waited outside.

"Calm down, InuYasha." Miroku sipped from his teacup, as always, acting the mediator. "She will be back before long."

InuYasha's left foot kept tapping impatiently. "I know that," he said, but his shifting eyes gave him away. Kagome looked in on the sight, amazed at the tension in the air. Sango sat next to Miroku, and Shippo was playing with Kirara. Kaede wasn't there. _She must be getting water or something_, Kagome thought. She walked in the middle of the room.

"Hi guys!" Kagome practically shouted her greeting. _Nothing,_ she thought dismally. No one sensed or saw her. _Perfect, just perfect,_ she thought, a frown forming on her lips. But, she had work to do. She couldn't leave InuYasha alone with the sacred jewel shards. Who knows what he would do with it.

As she walked around the room, InuYasha broke the silence once more. "I still don't see why she always has to take the Shikon jewel shards with her every time she goes home! And she's always going home so early!" Kagome stopped at the words. Her face flushed red with anger. She got right up in InuYasha's face.

"You don't say that when I bring your dumb potato chips over!" InuYasha seemed to be looking past her.

"When I travelled with Kikyo, we never had to return to the village so often." Kagome slumped in front of him, dismayed.

"You're still comparing me to Kikyo," she whispered, a tinge of sadness in her voice.

Shippo ran up to InuYasha, right between him and Kagome. "InuYasha, you can't possibly still be thinking about Kikyo! Think of all the good Kagome's done us!" InuYasha just swatted the kitsune away, but his eyes showed that he knew that. However, the words hung in the air.

_He doesn't have the shards. What am I still doing here?_ Kagome got up, but fell back down as Kagome leapt practically on top of her. He went through the hut's door, turning to face Sesshomaru. Kagome got back up, hurrying to make sure that a fight didn't begin.

"What are you doing here, Sesshomaru?" InuYasha spat out his half-brother's name. Sesshomaru turned, ignoring the hanyou. "I asked you a question!" InuYasha pulled out Tetsusaiga, ready to attack. Already, the villagers had gone into their homes, not wanting to get caught in a battle.

Sesshomaru stopped walking, as though considering his next move. Then he turned and looked InuYasha right in the eyes. "A good leader supports his followers. He does not hurt them." Sesshomaru turned again, walking away from the village and towards the Bone Eaters Well, where Rin and Jaken were waiting.

InuYasha stood there, stunned by his half-brother's words. Then he sheathed Tetsusaiga. _What did Sesshomaru know about support?_ He re-entered the hut.

Meanwhile, Kagome was stunned by Sesshomaru's words. It was almost as if...but, no, that was impossible. Kagome shook her head and headed for the well. Whether she liked it or not, she still had to get her supplies. She returned to see Sesshomaru and his followers already leaving.

As Kagome went toward the well, the thought sprouted in her head again. _It was almost as if he was _defending_ me!_

_Then Sesshomaru turned to face her._


	5. Chapter 5

Sesshomaru was already leaving with Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Un by the time the girl had returned from the village. The way InuYasha had treated her, something in the tone of his voice, something in the girl's downcast eyes, had made him speak. But, still, something was bothering him. He had to face the girl again, even though it went against each and every one of his instincts.

Kagome saw Sesshomaru turn towards her, and she stopped by the well. She wasn't about to let Sesshomaru see where she came from. She didn't need another inuyoukai coming to get her every time she went home. She sat on the edge, still looking at him, her eyes saying a silent thank you. The daiyoukai simply nodded his acceptance, then went away. Sesshomaru knew what he had to do.

* * *

It was still day out when Kagome went back up the well in feudal Japan. Her trip home had been very uneventful. Not only was she not seen by her family, but InuYasha hadn't come to get yet, either. She sighed, lugging her backpack up the well. _At least I have my supplies,_ she thought, being optimistic.

Suddenly, a strong demon aura surrounded her. Kagome immediately grabbed for her bow and arrows, ready for a fight. She turned, trying to find a source. Then she gasped.

"Sesshomaru, what are you doing here?" Kagome asked, slowly putting down her weapons. Sesshomaru didn't answer. He was leaning against a tree near the well. He looked curiously at Kagome. Obviously he had seen her come up the well, but he wasn't going to ask.

"I-I have some supplies down there. It's my own secret cache." Kagome stammered. Sesshomaru didn't question her, but he didn't look as though he totally believed her. Instead, he turned.

"Come," he said. Kagome grabbed her backpack, but didn't follow immediately.

"What about Rin and Jaken?" Kagome asked. She couldn't let those two be hurt if their leader was away.

"They are close enough that if they need help they can get to the village, but far enough that InuYasha cannot smell them." Sesshomaru started walking away.

Kagome tentatively started following Sesshomaru. Still, something wasn't right. She knew what Sesshomaru's aura felt like, and she could identify it almost immediately, but there was still something in the air. She ran next to his side. "You don't smell anything, by chance?" Sesshomaru shook his head.

Still, that didn't convince Kagome. She cocked her bow, trying to find the exact location of the aura. It was a weird one. She had never felt one as strong as Sesshomaru's. Not even Naraku's was this strong.

They continued walking for awhile. Kagome wasn't sure where they were going, but she trusted Sesshomaru enough to have a plan. However, she couldn't ask. She kept her concentration, trying to find the source of such a demonic aura. They were far away from the well, in one of the densest parts of the forest of InuYasha, by the time Kagome had to ask. "Are you sure-"

Suddenly, Kagome knew exactly where the awful aura was coming from. And boy was it evil! "Look out!" Kagome shouted, releasing her arrow. Sesshomaru dodged the arrow, glaring at Kagome. What was the priestess doing? He knew she must have been upset by InuYasha's comment, but what right did she have to take it out on him.

"Ha, ha, ha!" Sesshomaru turned. The evil cackling was coming from directly behind him. How could he not have noticed the demon's scent? How could he still not smell the demon.

Meanwhile, Kagome was more concerned with the fact that the demon had managed to catch her arrow before it had hit him. He was twirling it in his fingers, laughing maniacally. The only one to ever do something so impossible was Sesshomaru. She cocked another arrow. "Who are you?" The demon laughed even harder.

Then he stopped, licking his lips and staring directly at Kagome. Kagome's eyes widened. "You can see me?" Now she was creeped out.

"More than that! Oh, you smell delicious! You will make a wonderful meal!" The demon disappeared. Kagome turned around, barely managing to follow the aura. Something grabbed her neck, cutting off her oxygen. Her bow and arrow fell out of her hand, onto the ground.

"Who are you?" she gasped, trying to struggle out of the tight grip.

The demon laughed again. His voice was high and loud, like a raven's. "I am Karashima, Lord of the Skies!"

Kagome spoke increduously. "That doesn't make any sense!" Karashime growled. He pulled out Kagome bow. Slowly, he scratched her arm. Kagome didn't even grunt.

"Meals are not meant to backtalk!" Karashima growled, then started laughing again.

Suddenly, a whip of energy attacked to Karashima's leg. Sesshomaru flicked his wrist, and the angry demon was flung a few feet away. Sesshomaru ignored Karashima's growls and went up to Kagome. "Are you okay, priestess?" Kagome nodded, looking down at the cut on her right arm.

"I've had worse." She looked Sesshomaru in the eyes.

"How dare you ignore me!" Karashima sprung toward Sesshomaru, ready for battle. Sesshomaru looked up, obviously annoyed. He sidestepped, luring Karashima away from Kagome. Following things with her spiritual powers, she grabbed at her weapons, taking aim.

But things were going much faster than she was used to. Normally, InuYasha could slow down the battle so that human eyes could follow it, but these were two full-fledged demons. Kagome was barely managing to keep the tip of her arrow facing Karashima.

Karashima attempted to connect a blow to Sesshomaru, who avoided it easily. In response, he cracked his claws and nicked Karashima with his poison. Karashima wiped away the blood, not showing any pain. Instead, he smiled.

Kagome saw the flash of the demon's teeth. She knew that trouble must be brewing against her and Sesshomaru. "Hey, Karashima!" she yelled, trying to draw his attention away from the inudaiyoukai. "How can you be the Lord of the Skies? Is that just you trying to come with a title? No one owns the sky!" Karashima growled, letting her words get to him. He turned to face her. Kagome released her bow, taking advantage of his stop. Karashima screamed as Sesshomaru got behind him, wrapping his whip of light around him, preventing him from moving.

Kagome's arrow connected, and immediately Karashima was purified. She sighed, resting against a tree, checking on her arm. "Are you okay, Sesshomaru? Sesshomaru?"

Kagome looked over at Sesshomaru. He was on his knees, surrounded by feathers. He face showed pain. "Sesshomaru!" Kagome screamed as the demon fell.

**Author's Note**

**Naraku is visiting my house for tea. The only problem is, I don't know when he'll leave. In the meantime, I can't let him see this story, so it might take awhile for the next chapter to come.**

"**InuApril, I want my tea!"**

**Coming! Seriously, he is such an annoying villain.**

"**What are you doing?" Uh-oh. HIDE!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note**

**Geez! That guy found me out almost immediately. A piece of advice; don't let Naraku into your house for tea, no matter how much he threatens with his miasma.**

**Anyway, now he's making me do something so devious, so dastardly, so incredibly awful, that only an anime character could think of such a thing.**

**During the most suspenseful part, he's making me write a filler chapter!**

"La, la, la," Rin kept singing, waving her little feet in the air as she sat on Ah-Un. Jaken rested against the dragon's side, napping, a little bubble coming out of his nose. He woke with a start as his nose bubble popped.

"Oh, Master Jaken! You're awake!" Rin hopped down, facing Jaken. "Do you think Lord Sesshomaru will come here soon?"

Jaken wiped his eyes, still holding on to his Staff of Two Heads. "I don't child! Stop bothering me!" He turned away from her.

"Did you see the way Lord Sesshomaru looked at Lady Kagome?" Rin stared in the distance, a smile on her face. "Can you imagine what would happen if Lady Kagome traveled with us and helped us, Master Jaken."

"Pfft," Jaken replied, closing his eyes. "Lord Sesshomaru would never fall in love with a priestess."

"But you saw the look in his eyes!" Rin pushed Jaken, making him jump.

"You've only accompanied us for a small while. You have no idea of the complexities of Lord Sesshomaru's mind." Jaken went around Ah-Un, trying to find some sleep.

Rin continued staring into space. His eyes had softened as soon as they had seen Kagome. She knew it. Her smile widened.

* * *

InuYasha leaned against the outside of Kaede's hut. He was starting to get worried. The day was ending and Kagome still hadn't come back from her weird time.

"I'm getting worried, InuYasha! The day is ending and Kagome still hasn't come back!" Shippo crawled outside to join InuYasha. The hanyou responded by punching the kitsune with all his might. Shippo was about to complain, but then he saw InuYasha's eyes, staring blankly into space, toward the well. He was even more worried than ever.

"What do you think Sesshomaru was doing here?" Shippo asked, rubbing his head.

"I don't know that!" InuYasha replied grumpily. But something was wrong. The winds were changing, and they were blowing away from him.

**Oh my gosh! Okay, I've escaped Naraku again. But, man is that guy fast! Please rate and comment before-**

"**Where do you think you're going, InuApril?" Yikes! See you next chapter guys. In the meantime, RUN AWAY!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note**

**Okay, I've escaped. Again. Don't get captured by Naraku. He'll keep you holed up and make you write filler chapters and… oh, it's just too indescribable. Be thankful that I'm not putting those fillers in. Those were TORTURE! Anyway, let me get back to Sesshomaru and Kagome, before that awful-smelling half-demon comes back and finds me! WRITE! WRITE LIKE THE WIND!**

It was dark by the time Kagome had finished bandaging Sesshomaru. He'd refused at first, but Kagome would not take no for an answer.

"I don't care if you're a human, half-demon, or demon. You need to be fixed up. Good think I got these supplies before we came here." Sesshomaru looked away, not looking at the girl as she checked his wounds. She pulled out all the feathers sticking to his skin, trying to make it as painless as possible. Thankfully, all his injuries were on his arm and neck. Nothing too serious.

"Sesshomaru…" Kagome began. His eyes shifted toward her, but he did not turn his head. "You didn't smell Karashima. In fact, you didn't know he was here until I shot my arrow at him. I haven't traveled with you long, but as a full demon, shouldn't you have stronger senses than…" She didn't say InuYasha's name, for Sesshomaru's sake and her own. "Not to mention the fact that that guy could see me. You've got to give me some answers." She put the last band-aid on his neck and sat back, looking expectantly at him.

Sesshomaru was leaning against a tree. As Kagome sat there, he raised himself up to be upright. He held out his arm, then grabbed Kagome's right arm. Her heart skipped a beat as he inspected the cut she had received. He looked at her eyes, then said, "It's been bothering you, hasn't it?" Kagome pulled her arm away, trying to keep her grimace from the pain off of her face. _How had he known?_

He gazed at her for a second, then at the stars. "Ever since that night, the air has been different." Kagome looked at him quizzically. "Ever since the Shikon fragment touched your hand, my senses have changed." He didn't continue. Kagome got the gist of it, though.

"How terrible," she said. Sesshomaru, as an inuyoukai, relied on his senses greatly. Without them, well, he must feel lost. "And what about Karashima?"

"His senses were just as good as mine used to be. His sense of sight, at least. He was a raven lord. A karasu daiyoukai. Just like me, he can see what any other demon, human, or in between could not see. In this case, you."

"Well, how come you can still see me?" Kagome asked, puzzled.

"I did not say that my senses were gone. I said that they have changed. I can still see you." He looked at her cut again. "Thank you for helping me heal. It was unneeded, but thank you. Now, tend let me tend to your wound." Sesshomaru grabbed the antibiotics he had seen Kagome used, and repeated the process on her arm. It wasn't a large cut, but it wasn't small either. It went across the width of Kagome's arm, which made moving it somewhat difficult.

Kagome's heart raced throughout Sesshomaru's treatment. Not even InuYasha had attempted to used her medicines. She usually had to care for herself. Not that they didn't care for her. It was just that they didn't want to somehow mess up the treatment.

But here was Sesshomaru, a full demon, helping her heal. Later that night, when Sesshomaru seemed to be asleep, Kagome's mind wandered back to InuYasha. Had he noticed that she was gone yet? Or was he still thinking about Kikyo. Kagome was used to this by now, but that didn't mean InuYasha had any right to say that behind her back. He should have told her to her face.

That night, a single tear slid down Kagome's cheek as she drifted into a land of dreams.

**So, what do you guys think? Review, Review, PLEASE review!**

"**InuApril, if you think I can't hear you, then you are so sadly mistaken. Or clinically insane. Either or."**

**Oh no! Naraku! Why can't that guy get a life already?**

"**Now you're going to get it!"**

**Geez! On the run again! Please, review! Naraku can't catch all of us! Now, yeah, YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME ALIVE SUCKA!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Bwa ha ha! I told ya you couldn't catch me sucka!**

"**It doesn't count when you go into small places that my tentacles can't fit through!"**

**And whose fault is that? Anyway, now that Naraku is trapped in a little, tiny, baby corner over there-**

"**Hey!"**

**I can make another chapter! And I'll take my sweet time while I taunt this dude right over here! (Sticks out tongue)**

"**You do know that I'll get out of here sooner or later, right?"**

**Yeah, I don't really care!**

The next morning, Sesshomaru watched the priestess warily as she rummaged through her bags.

"Sesshomaru," Kagome said. The daiyoukai lifted his eyebrow. "today you will finally" she pulled a plastic bag from her yellow pack, "taste the deliciousness that is" she pushed in front of his face "potato chips!"

Sesshomaru looked above the bag to the girl's smiling face. Their first day of travel had been very taxing, even from a demon's perspective. How could the human girl face the next day with a smile on her face. "I am not taking this away from your face until you try it." She said through her teeth. If Sesshomaru was more open, he would have chuckled. Then again, he had an image to uphold.

Slowly, he took the bag away from Kagome. She leaned over him, watching his every move. He opened the bag. Immediately, he could smell these so-called "chips". He didn't need his normal senses to do that. Still, he wasn't sure he wanted to try it.

"Oh, come on. They're delicious!" Kagome reached in a dug out a handful of chips. She ate them, savoring the taste. "See? No poison. Amazing!" Sesshomaru carefully took his own handful out, then carefully chewed one. Immediately, his eyes widened. He shoved the rest of the chips into his mouth. Kagome laughed out loud. "Chips! I told you they were awesome!" Sesshomaru didn't say anything. Instead, he kept emptying the bag. "Hey, give me some!" Sesshomaru lifted his face, then held out the bag reluctantly. Kagome took out another handful. As soon as she did, Sesshomaru put the bag back into his possession. _Wow! Good thing I brought a bunch of bags back! His appetite's bigger than InuYasha's!_ Momentarily, Kagome's smile wavered. However, Sesshomaru was enjoying himself too much to notice anything.

"So, you're senses have changed, right? That's what you said last night." Sesshomaru didn't say anything, so Kagome assumed that was a yes. "What exactly does that mean?"

Sesshomaru held the bag upside down, trying to see if he had missed any crumbs. Sighing, he answered her question. "In nature, whether the Shikon no Tama is working mischief or not, certain things cannot be changed. When a man goes blind, his sense of hearing, or his sense of smell, or some other sense or combination of senses gain more power. That blind man might be able to use echolocation to make up for his lost sight. Now, this Sesshomaru's sense of smell and hearing. Those two are the most important. Ever since that night, they have lost their potency. So, by nature's law, some other sense must have gained what the other two lost. In this case, my eyesight."

"So, you can see in color now?" Kagome asked.

Sesshomaru looked at her. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh, sorry! That's some little dog superstition from where I come from. If you see in black and white or color, well, that's totally fine with me!" Kagome lifted her hand behind her head, embarrassed. Sesshomaru just glanced up the sky. "So, Karashima could see me because he was a raven demon, and raven's have notoriously good eyesight. Plus, according to you, he was a daiyoukai, which would enhance his senses even more. I guess that makes sense!" Kagome started laughing. "You see what I did there. Makes sense! Ha!" Sesshomaru turned to face her with something close to a smile on his face, but that was quickly wiped away.

"Sesshomaru," Kagome said, her tone more serious. Sesshomaru looked at her. "Why is it that we're having this discussion of who can see me? Why is it so much more complicated then before?"

"This Sesshomaru believes that the Shikon jewel shard is to blame." Kagome fidgeted a little. "What is the problem?"

"Well, yesterday, I looked for the jewel shard you gave me…and it was gone." Sesshomaru didn't comment. "It's not my fault. I thought InuYasha had taken it, but when we went there, well, it was obvious that he didn't have it. It was stolen! I know that much."

"The shard was not stolen." Sesshomaru replied, getting up. "We must leave."

"What? Why? What does that mean anyway, 'It was not stolen'?" Kagome imitated Sesshomaru.

"I mean that the only possible way this could have happened is if the jewel shard was at work. It is obvious that it was."

"Well, where is the shard now?" Kagome wanted to call him Smarty-Pants, but she had a feeling that the daiyoukai's good mood was fading fast.

"You'd probably know that better than this Sesshomaru, since you can sense the Shikon no Tama."

"I would, but I keep sensing that jewel shard is with me. But that can't be right, can it?"

Sesshomaru shook his head. "You should try to figure this out for yourself, priestess. I cannot hold your hand all the time." Sesshomaru went out of the clearing, Kagome scurrying after him, pack on her bag.

"Sesshomaru!" she yelled. His mood lasted even less then she would have suspected. "At least tell me where we're going!"

"To one who's sense have been heightened by the Shikon no Tama."

Kagome thought for a minute, then moaned. "You can't mean-"

"Koga." Sesshomaru finished her sentence. _Joy! _Kagome thought. _Well, here's one thing to say about Sesshomaru. He probably knows more about what's going on then anyone out there._

"Kagome caught up to Sesshomaru. "Thank you, Sesshomaru." Sesshomaru looked down at her. No one ever said thank you to him. _This girl, this human, is rather exceptional._ He thought. He would never say it aloud, but…he was actually enjoying himself on this journey. What would he do when it was over?

**So, what do you guys think? I go by reviews, so if you want to comment, please do so. By the way, GET YOUR STINKIN TENTACLES AWAY FROM ME!**

"**I told you I could get out!"**

**Oh, geez! You are so annoying! And to think I let you have tea with me!**

"**And to think you're telling one of my least favorite stories!"**

**Okay guys! I have to handle ole Stinky over here. In the meantime, REVIEW!**

"**You say that as though you're going to escape!"**

**I am! This is my story after all! Until next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Naraku, what are we doing? You're going to capture me, I'm going to capture you, it's just a never-ending circle!**

"**You're only saying this because I'm the one who's captured you."**

**True, you might have me cornered in the vertex of two perpendicular walls in a seemingly bad situation for myself-**

"**What?"**

**But that doesn't mean that I'm captured.**

"**No, I'm pretty sure it does mean that you're captured."**

**Hey! I love your hair! It's so long and shiny! What products do you use?**

"**Oh, actually I spend hours-"**

**Okay, now I'll write the next chapter!**

"**Did you say something?"**

**Just that I'll make sure I lather!**

"**Yes, that is very important…"**

Kagome kept walking beside Sesshomaru, even though he was obviously staring into space. He did that a lot. "If you're worrying about Rin and Jaken, I'm sure that they're fine," Kagome said, trying to reassure the daiyoukai.

Sesshomaru looked at her. She smiled, trying to comfort him. He didn't say anything, just continued to stare of into space, at whatever his mind was lingering on. Kagome sighed. She truly did not understand Sesshomaru. She got InuYasha and the rest of her friends. She could usually figure out what they were thinking. But Sesshomaru. He was an impenetrable fortress. Kagome was determined to unravel his mysteries on this trip, though.

Meanwhile, Sesshomaru needed to unravel the mystery that was Kagome. When he thought about her, he thought of what his brother had said. He was obviously not over his other woman, even though Kagome was always there for him. The way the girl had reacted, well, it puzzled him. Anyone would have been incredibly upset over being compared to another. Yet, Kagome hadn't shown any signs of weakness. She just grinned and laughed and played, and, on occasions, tried to help Sesshomaru, no matter how useless any such attempt would be.

But what puzzled Sesshomaru the most were his own reactions. He had felt such anger at what his brother said, something so powerful that he was still thinking of it a day later, that he had wanted, no, _needed_ to respond.

"Hey, Sesshomaru! Look at that smoke!" Kagome pointed to a large pillar of smoke pouring into the clouds. It was obviously coming from a village. "Do you think there might be a village there in trouble?"

"It is none of our concern," he answered, his stride not hesitating for a second.

"Stop right there, mister," Kagome said. Her eyes widened. She dearly hoped that Sesshomaru wouldn't find her tone insulting. Instead, he turned to face her, glaring stakes and swords at her. _Geez! If looks could kill…_ "People could be hurt or in trouble. How can you just go on knowing that?"

"Because I have no need to stop for such trifles," Sesshomaru answered.

"Lord Sesshomaru, there are people in danger. Isn't this your land? Your domain?" Kagome glared back, trying not to look intimidated.

_If looks could kill…_ Sesshomaru thought. He had caught the sarcasm in her voice as she had called him by his title. However, there was no way that he would endanger himself or the priestess without cause. "We are on a mission to return ourselves to normal. We do not have time for hindrances. Now, come." Sesshomaru started walking away again.

"Ugh! You're insufferable. All right, Lord Sesshomaru," Sesshomaru almost winced at the tone in her voice, but he maintained his composure, sure that the girl would follow him shortly. Instead, he heard her walking away from him, toward the smoke. "I will not require assistance that you obviously will not give me. Luck until we meet again." Kagome pulled off her backpack, making more room for her to shoulder he case of arrows and the bow. _Now, I'm actually glad I can't be seen._ Kagome thought.

With every step she took, she felt more and more knots in her stomach. Was she nervous? Not really. Was she angry at Sesshomaru? A little, but when she was upset at InuYasha, this feeling never came up. So, what was it?

Kagome shook her head. She was about to enter into battle. The last thing she needed to be worrying about was her feelings. She'd figure it out later. Right now, the village was coming into her sights.

Meanwhile, Sesshomaru slowly picked up the yellow backpack. Had she left it on purpose? Probably not. As far as he knew, Kagome didn't have a devious bone in her body. Everything she did, she did with her full focus on what needed to be done. _A little like me,_ Sesshomaru thought. She had dignity as well. Something that wouldn't let her fall to such low depths.

But all her healing equipment was in the bag. Did she not realize that? Or was she more concerned with something else. He had seen her prepare her bow before the forest had enveloped her. Was she sensing a demonic aura, why hadn't she told him? And why was he so worried in the first place? She was only a human, no more than any other one.

But what other reason could there be? She had obviously been getting ready for a battle, yet she had only said that there was a village over there in trouble. Sesshomaru scratched his neck, peeling one of those sticky healing things off. He looked at the pad in the middle, which was full of his blood. His eyes widened in understanding. _How…incredible,_ he thought, following after Kagome.

0.o

Kagome was in the outskirts of the burning village. She cocked her bow, aiming carefully. Then she released. The demon didn't know what had hit him. His scream pierced the air. "Tsk," Kagome grunted. She had been close, but missed his heart.

The demon she aiming at looked remarkably human, but he had really spiky hair and a tail, plus she could feel the immense amounts of aura coming off of him. But she wasn't as worried of him as she was as the source of the wall the was buffeting her. She still hadn't found the demon, but she had already picked off two of his minions. She released another arrow, this time hitting the demon's heart. She smiled. _Those archery lessons, they really do pay off_, she thought happily. She'd practiced a lot.

Kagome looked around, using the demonic aura as her guide. She had been uncomfortable with it, it seemed so familiar, but now she was used to it. And she was ready for anything.

She turned a corner, expecting the worst. She gasped, releasing her bow and cocking another one as quickly as she could. "Obviously those Panther Devas hadn't learned their lesson. Or they didn't teach." There, bone and a little flesh, stood the Panther King. He'd obviously become a little more powerful since he was in his human form, but it was disgusting to look at him for a second. One of his eyes wasn't in its socket, and bones protruded most of his body. He was holding a little boy by the neck, getting ready for dessert. It seemed that Kagome's shot hadn't bothered him.

Kagome released another arrow. "Hey, Panther King, look down here and release the kid!" The Panther King looked at her. Suddenly, recognition dawned on him.

"You're that girl. The inuhanyou's girl!" An evil grin spread across his face. "Payback time!" He lunged at Kagome with superhuman speed. _That's right, he was a daiyoukai! _Kagome released another arrow, this one hitting his hand when it was barely a foot away from her neck. He growled, turning it so that he could get a better look. He pulled it out, grimacing a little.

Kagome cocked another arrow. She only had two more left after this. _I think…Yes, I sense a sacred jewel shard! It's right there!_ Kagome focused on the panther's socket, the one without an eye. _My senses must be haywire too! I didn't sense until just now!_ Of course, it didn't help that she constantly felt the presence of an unknown shard with her.

The Panther King circled her warily. Kagome made sure that she constantly kept her aim on his socket. "How'd you get that jewel shard?" Kagome asked, hoping to distract him. Every villain she had ever met in the feudal era seemed to like monologue-ing. She hoped the Panther King was no exception.

"How would you know that?" the Panther King asked. He shook his head, "I remember her telling me that you would see it."

"Who's her?" Kagome asked, pulling the arrow a little more back so that her shot would have more power.

"I'm not one to divulge secrets, honey. Sorry." One thing was evident. The Panther King did not feel sorry in the least.

_Great, the one guy who has answers decides not to describe his entire plan in full detail,_ Kagome thought dismally. "Well, if that's the case, then sayonara!" She let the arrow fly. She lowered her bow, knowing that the arrow would hit its mark. She had let go perfectly, with just the right angle.

She was about to turn away when she felt a sword at her throat. "Nice. It's my turn now, isn't it?" Kagome looked ahead, where she had just seen the Panther King. Where he had once stood, a wooden log with cross-eyes, one with an arrow coming out of it. The log seemed to be jeering at her.

"Shoot!" Kagome yelled. She had underestimated a demon. That was never a good thing to do, and a rookie mistake at that.

"Yeah, I'd be upset too," the Panther King sympathized. "Don't worry. You won't have time to feel too bad about it." The sword, a small sword with detailed inscriptions with Japanese characters that read, "Swiftness, Power, Death, Vigilance", delved deeper into Kagome's throat. She was finding it hard to breathe.

"It's not over until the fat lady sings," Kagome gasped. She kicked her leg back with all her might, hoping to catch the demon lord off guard. It seemed to have no effect.

"Nice, but I have thick skin," the Panther King said.

"And a thick head," a voice murmured. Kagome's eyes widened. It came from behind the Panther King.

"Ah, Lord Sesshomaru. I thought for sure it would be the hanyou that came."

"Shut up," Sesshomaru said, using his poison claws. The Panther King released Kagome quickly. Sesshomaru almost cut her, it was so quick, but he managed to stop before that happened.

"Behind you!" Kagome shouted, feeling the demonic presence. Sesshomaru felt a deep fury rise when he noticed that her voice was somewhat raspy. She turned to him, and the fury became a blazing fire when he saw the deep cut on her throat. "I said behind you!" Kagome yelled. She quickly cocked another arrow and hit the Panther King that was right behind Sesshomaru. She almost hit the jewel shard, but was just slightly off. Still, it seemed to injure him greatly.

"You'll pay for that, girl!" the Panther King screeched. He lashed at Sesshomaru, who nimbly avoided his claws. He ran toward Kagome, eyes glowing with hatred. _She knows where my shard is. She has to be killed._ Kagome took out her last bow, holding it in her hand like a spear. She was sure how much damage she could do, but she didn't have time to prepare her bow.

Sesshomaru watched in awe. He didn't have the speed to catch up to the Panther King, but he was sprinting after him nonetheless. He wouldn't let that daiyoukai lay another hand on Kagome.

"**And then I rinse and repeat."**

**Please, PLEASE stop! And I thought us girls cared about our hair! Oh my gosh! Please, chase me or something, just stop talking about your hair.**

"**You mean you're not interested?"**

**Of course not! I can't even write anymore with your awful ramblings!**

"**You mean you weren't paying attention to me? Wait, that's that story! You tricked me!"**

**Thank goodness! Yes, chase me! Anything but your hair!**

"**You'll pay for this InuApril!"**

**No, you'll pay! You just wasted 3 hours of my life with your monologue-ing!**

"**I'm going to get you!"**

**Yeah right! In the meantime, you guys should RATE AND REVIEW! Oh no! How'd that cliff get here! Naraku!**

"**Please, don't rate and review! This girl doesn't know what she's talking about! This story is worth nothing!"**

**You're just upset! Please, are you seriously going to listen to Naraku! Now, RATE AND REVIEW! And you! YOU'LL RUE THIS DAY!**

"**Rue?"**

**Yes, because you will plummet off a cliff when I get back up there! Now, REVIEW, REVIEW LIKE THE WIIIIIIIIIIND!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Rue! !**

"**Yeah, I may be falling off a cliff, but I will get you! I never die!"**

**Uh-huh. I'll worry about that…NEVER! Bwahahahahahaha!**

"**I swear, you laugh more than meeeeee!"**

**Yeah, well, he's gone for a little while. I'm really sorry that I left you in what might have been the most suspenseful part of the battle. I planned on uploading the whole thing, but it was really, really long, so I divided it into two parts. So, to make up for it, I've added a lot more to this chapter then I was planning. Please enjoy!**

"**Yeah right! Like they're going to forgive you just by reading a thousand or so more words!"**

**Shut up! **_**I kick him on the head and he falls to the unfathomable depths of the cliffs. I watch him go**_**. That takes care of that. Now, enjoyment commense!**__

For Kagome, everything was happening in slow motion. She could see the Panther King coming, and behind him was Sesshomaru. He was slowly gaining, but not enough to get there before the Panther King reached her. She adjusted her lifeline, the little point at the end of the arrow. _Come and get me, you big cat!_ She thought, preparing herself.

"Kagome!" Kagome turned her head, sensing two sacred jewel shards approaching quickly. "Koga?" she asked. Two feet connected to the Panther King, who landed onto his belly. She stared wide-eyed at the young wolf-demon leader.

"Hey Kagome," Koga said in that flirtatious voice that only he could master. Sesshomaru appeared next to him, his gaze indifferent. Kagome stifled a giggle. She kneeled down, looking at the Panther King.

"Koga, you're kinda sitting on a powerful demon." Koga looked down.

"Oh, yeah!" he said, lifting his foot. The Panther King shifted a little.

"Aack! He's moving!" Kagome slowly reached toward the jewel shard in the Panther King's eye socket.

"Wait a moment," Sesshomaru said, quickly placing himself between Kagome and the panther demon, just as a flaky arm shot out towards her. Sesshomaru swatted it away with a flick of his wrist.

"That's enough out of you." Koga punched the Panther King, a scowl on his face.

The Panther King growled. "Why don't you try that again, hot-stuff?"

"Wait, Koga, no!" Kagome shouted, stepping in front of Sesshomaru. Too late. Koga, being hot-tempered as he was, let another punch fly through the air onto…

A log appeared where the Panther King used to be, with that mocking face Kagome had seen before. "Now where is he?" Kagome asked, using the opportunity to prepare her bow and arrow. _One left. Better make it count, _she thought, determination plain on her face.

A deep, loud chuckle filled the village. Kagome looked around. The place really was a mess. Only a few huts were still standing, probably either completely empty or housing a few unlucky people who hadn't gotten out in time. The Panther King had gone out of his way to ruin these people's lives. _Why?_ Kagome wondered.

"It would appear that everyone came to witness my glorious return!" the Panther King boomed.

"Over there!" Kagome pointed, sensing the sacred jewel shard moving. It was closer than she would have liked, but she was just happy to be able to feel it.

The Panther King seemed to materialize in front of them. Kagome was tempted to take a shot, but he disappeared too quickly. "Behind!" she yelled. Just as before, he left as soon and as suddenly as he had come. Kagome could feel him behind her again. "180!" she announced. Just as she was about to turn, she saw something in the sky. Something big, yellow with black stripes, and large, large fangs. On its back were three very familiar figures. Underneath running at speeds that defied human physiology, was a red blur with silver hair.

"InuYasha!" Kagome yelled, elated, yet saddened to see her friends. She knew they couldn't see her. She turned around, focusing on the Panther King for the moment.

He was still there, smiling. _He acts just like Naraku,_ Kagome thought.

"I grow tired of this nonsense," Sesshomaru said, drawing Tokijin.

"Hey, mutt-face, what took you so long?" Koga asked, cracking his knuckles. "I'll handle this one, big shot!" Koga leapt in front of Sesshomaru, whose usual scowl deepened.

"Koga," Kagome warned.

"Don't worry about me, Kagome," Koga said, jeering at the Panther King. His smile on grew wider.

"Kagome?" InuYasha asked, drawing next to Koga. "She's not here right now, dog-breath!"

Koga looked at InuYasha, then back at Kagome. She put a finger to her lips, her eyes pleading with Koga. He shrugged, then lunged at the Panther King.

"And what are you doing here, Sesshomaru?" InuYasha asked, drawing Tetsusaiga. "Kagome hasn't shown up in over a day, and you were one of the last ones to see her, weren't you? What did you do?"

"You have more things to worry about at the moment. Prioritize, brother," Sesshomaru turned to face InuYasha, holding his sword low. He would fight if he had to, but he would not start any quarrels.

"Why does he always assume you're looking for a fight?" Kagome whispered under her breath, exasperated. She looked behind her. Sango held Hiraikotsu poised for tossing. Miroku grasped his prayer beads that surrounded his right arm, containing the wind tunnel. Shippo was quivering behind his back, unseen by all except Kagome. She smiled.

Sesshomaru looked at her, but didn't acknowledge that he'd actually heard what she'd said. Kagome turned forward, looking at the battle between Koga and the Panther King. In speed, they were equally matched. No matter where the Panther King went, Koga managed to keep up. Kagome couldn't believe how fast they were moving! _It's like a ballet. A deadly ballet, granted,_ she noticed as they hopped back and forth, trying to find an opening in the other.

"Step back, you mangy wolf!" InuYasha yelled, raising Tetsusaige above his head. "Wind scar!" Koga glanced over, then hopped to the top of a burning hut.

The Panther King heard the warning as well, but didn't really know what was coming. He watched the coming trails of yellow demonic energy. His eyes widened, then he disappeared as the wind scar reached him.

Everyone looked around. Kagome tried to sense the jewel shard that had been hidden in the Panther King's socket, but found nothing. _That's weird,_ Kagome thought. _It was way too easy._

"Well, that was easy," InuYasha said, resting Tetsusaiga over his shoulder.

"You know nothing, don't you mutt-face? You could have killed me!" Koga punched InuYasha, causing him to have a huge bump on his head.

"Hey, weren't you just-" Kagome giggled, thinking about how this always happened. Koga was so quick that to her it had seemed that the shards had just transported to their current spot.

"How tedious," Sesshomaru said, sheathing Tokijin.

"You almost sound upset that you didn't land a blow with your sword," Kagome chuckled. Sesshomaru didn't honor that comment with an answer.

"Do you really think you got him?" Shippo asked, jumping off Kirara and to the ground, trying to look brave.

"Yeah. No one can survive that!" InuYasha answered confidently.

"Not necessarily," Kagome answered. Then she remembered that InuYasha couldn't hear her. "Hey, Koga, could you tell him that."

"What, why?" Koga asked, confused.

"The wind scar's too powerful," InuYasha said proudly.

"Don't be foolish, InuYasha," Sesshomaru said in Koga's stead. Kagome stared at him, surprised. "Have you forgotten who that was?"

"What? You know him?" InuYasha asked, perplexed.

"That was the Panther King. He gathered us all together once before, remember?"

"Yes. I remember now. He had his little panther minions abduct Lady Kagome," Miroku said, a pensive look on his face.

Kagome stepped in front of InuYasha. Since she had been traveling with Sesshomaru, she had been wondering how she would feel when she saw her favorite hanyou's face again. Her eyes shifted back and forth, trying to find something. It wasn't there, to her surprise. Something was missing, some special feeling.

"Come," Sesshomaru said, turning away.

"Why is it that every time I see you, you're always leaving?" InuYasha asked, annoyed.

"Because there is no one of consequence here. Kagome, Koga, come." Kagome eyed him.

"What's the magic word?" she asked, teasing. She wasn't really expecting anything back.

"Now," Kagome met Sesshomaru's eyes. She hadn't even stepped forward yet. Although his face remained stoic, there was something in his eyes. Some small flame, dancing happily. She smiled. "Sure thing!"

Koga shrugged, then followed after Kagome. He had some questions that he needed answers for.

"Wait! Kagome? What the he-"

"Sit boy!" Kagome yelled. She ran away into the surrounding forest. There was no thud. _Aww, that doesn't work? I guess it's cause he doesn't hear me,_ Kagome thought. She glanced at Koga. She could still sense his shards nearby, just like the three she was missing. Then her eyes widened. _No way!_ She'd figured out where they were. She'd have to confirm it with Sesshomaru, but she was sure of herself. _I really hope I'm wrong,_ she thought, twiddling her thumbs.

As they got further away from her friends, Sesshomaru faced her. He shifted his mokomoko-sama (or the fur, as Kagome referred to it in her own mind), and a large-ish yellow bag fell to the ground. "I believe that is yours," he said. He kicked it a little. Kagome grabbed it, shifting her bow a little so that she could fit her backpack on.

"So, Koga," Kagome started.

"Why has your scent dimmed? You scared me to death. I thought the mutt had slipped up and you had-" Koga couldn't finish his statement. Kagome touched his shoulder.

"Don't worry. Nothing like that happened." Kagome soothed. She took off her pack, rummaged through it, then lifted a plastic bag out. "You must be hungry. Here's some potato chips!" She smiled reassuringly.

Sesshomaru sniffed indignantly. "You have been following us," It was a guess, but Sesshomaru made it sound almost like a statement.

"I've been following her scent," Koga answered, eagerly stuffing his face. "Why are you traveling with this dog?"

Kagome got in between Sesshomaru and Koga. She wasn't sure how Sesshomaru would take being called a dog, and she wasn't about to take her chances. "Things have changed. You see, well…" Kagome paused. She seemed to think for a minute, then continued, "some sacred jewel shards have been absorbed into me." She looked down. "And to think some people call me the Miko no Shikon," she whispered.

Sesshomaru almost tried to comfort her by wrapping his arms around her. He hadn't expected the human to figure it out in the midst of a battle. Instead, he chose his words carefully. "Some coward decided to plot against us behind our back. He knew he could not over take this Sesshomaru and the Miko no Shikon." He stared into the sky as he said that. Kagome glanced up at him, thankful and surprised. He had done more for her in a couple of days then InuYasha had done in the year that she had been helping him find the Shikon no Tama.

"Oh, Kagome," Koga said, taking her hands in his. "I should have never left you with ole mutt-face over there."

"Thanks Koga," Kagome sniffed a little.

"If there's anything I can do to help, just say the words."

"Actually," Kagome said, "do you think you could distract InuYasha for awhile? I mean, so we can mask our scent."

Koga blinked. "You don't want him to?"

"Not right now," Kagome said.

"Do you smell anything unusual about either of our scents?" Sesshomaru interjected.

"You mean other than the fact that they're softer than anyone else's? Well," Koga took the opportunity to step as close to Kagome as he could. He took such a big sniff that Kagome's hair almost flew up his nose. "You smell of a high elevation. And smoke, but that was probably the village. Let's see…a river too. Pretty much like earth."

"Thank you," Kagome said, taking a step back.

"Hey Koga!" two voices rang behind a pair of trees. Koga's posse came out. It was Ginta and Hikkaku. "Oh, hi Kagome!" they said. They were always happy to see the girl who had helped them defeat the Birds of Paradise.

"Hi guys! Bye!" she said as she started walking. Sesshomaru eyed her, then followed. "Oh, and Koga?"

Koga looked at her expectantly.

"Ayame told me to say hi and good luck!" Koga blinked, then waved goodbye.

Sesshomaru looked down at her. Her eyes, always so talkative, even when she was not, told him that she would tell him later.

0.o

Later was that night, after she had lit a fire and was lounging in her sleeping bag. "Ayame is a girl that adores Koga. He promised that he would marry her awhile ago, and she's really set on that."

"Koga seems enamored by you," Sesshomaru said.

"Yeah, well, I don't feel the same way."

"You're enamored by my brother," Sesshomaru stated.

"Yeah, I guess," Kagome looked down, thinking. Whenever she saw InuYasha after a long period of time, she always felt light, her heart would flutter as she laid eyes on him. When she had scanned his face, that feeling, it had disappeared. She had heard the concern in his voice, and that made her happy. But, it just wasn't the same. She had seen a single black hair on his sleeve. It wasn't Sango's, or her own.

"But Ayame didn't say that last time you saw her," Sesshomaru guessed.

Kagome smiled. "The last time I saw Ayame, Koga was there too. She had sprinted away. So, you're right."

Kagome went to sleep. Whether she liked it or not, InuYasha still loved Kikyo, and her love for him, well, it was like a friend, no longer girlfriend to boyfriend.

**So, what'd you think? Good, bad, awful?**

"**AWFUL!"**

**No one cares Naraku. It's funny. He pushes everyone off cliffs, but it takes him forever to get up one. Anyway, REVIEW. Pretty please with Sesshy on top? By the way, I'm no Kikyo hater, nor do I hate InuYasha. I'm a SessKag fan, nothing more, nothing less! WML (Write more later) REVIEW!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Wow, Naraku, you really are slow. You figure that since you can somehow fly, and you throw people off cliffs and stuff, like every episode, that you could climb those cliffs faster. You have tentacles, for crying out loud!**

"**Save it."**

**Yeah, well, while you're doing that, I think I'm going to invite someone else for tea. Let's see, you wouldn't happen to have InuYasha on your Fave Five, would you?**

"**When I get up there, you're going to pay."**

**And, until that day comes, I'm going to try to get a hold of InuYasha. While I'm at it, let me see if I can get Sesshomaru. Family reunion! Hooray!**

"**You do realize they'll probably go at each other…Yes, you do that! What an awesome idea."**

**Okay, while I get their numbers, let me continue the story.**

Kagome sat across from Sesshomaru, a rock in each hand, a rope on her lap, and a firm stick to her side. Her tongue was sticking out, her face pure concentration. Her brown eyes were full of determination. _I can totally do this,_ she thought, slowly bringing the two stones closer together.

Sesshomaru watched her silently. She had been at it for hours. After she had asked to go to a nearby village to get more arrows, and he had rejected, she had become focused on making her own. Already she broken three sticks, cracked two rocks, and stretched thing four ropes. And it was getting more amusing by the minute.

"Ha! How's this?" She held up a rock. It looked somewhat sharper than it had before, but it was nowhere close to the fine workmanship of the one arrow that remained in her quiver. Sesshomaru didn't say anything. Kagome smiled. "You like it, don't you? Well, good to know, because I made it for you. You can add it to your arsenal."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. Was she joking?

"You are so encouraging. Seriously, I don't think I've ever been roaming around the Warring States era with such a cheerleader-like companion." She threw the rock over her shoulder. There was a thud as it hit against a tree trunk. "You're right, it was a little dull." She reached over, keeping the rope in her lap, and brought her yellow backpack over. Sesshomaru had learned that more than just potato chips were in there. It had been two days since their encounter with the Panther King. Kagome said that she couldn't sense him, but that she was pretty sure that he was still alive. Both she and Sesshomaru had had a few conversations, usually involving monosyllable replies from Sesshomaru, and concluded that the Panther King would probably be coming after them. He knew about Kagome's power and would probably want to eliminate her first. Not to mention that his grudge with Sesshomaru was bigger than the one he had with InuYasha.

So, Kagome was trying to make more arrows, preparing for an attack that they both knew would come.

InuYasha hadn't shown up, so Kagome was pretty sure that Koga had stalled him for a pretty long time. He was always good at getting InuYasha riled up. She just hoped that neither of them had gotten hurt.

"So, I've been thinking about what Koga said, about us smelling of high elevation, smoke, and earth. Well, this book," she struggled to bring out a big book with a hard cover and several pages. When she finally got it out, panting a little from the effort, she continued, "it's full of the topography of Japan. It lists all the mountains, all the rivers, population, history, pretty much everything you could want to know. Unfortunately for me, fortunate for you. I have test on this stuff next week." Kagome frowned. Sesshomaru didn't exactly know what a 'test' was in that context. He assumed it was like a duel of knowledge, and he wasn't about to ask.

"So, according to this, there are a couple of mountains here. I figure that if we investigate each one, we've got to find the person who did this to us. Or, at least, we could find a couple of clues." Kagome scratched at the band-aid attached to her neck. She smiled. Scratching was good. It meant the cut was closing. Still, she could do without the itch. "Who do you think brought the Panther King back to life?"

Sesshomaru didn't say anything. "Yeah, I don't know either," Kagome replied.

"He said 'she' in reference to someone. It is safe to assume he was referring to the person who gave him the jewel shard." Kagome had told Sesshomaru the story. When she had looked back, she had remembered how the Panther King said that "she" had told him that Kagome would be able to see his fragment of the Sacred Jewel.

Kagome got up, letting the rope fall from her lap. She brought the book over to Sesshomaru, setting it down next to him. "You can read this. You might learn something. In the meantime, whether you like it or not, I'm going to a village and buying more arrows."

"No one will be able to see you," Sesshomaru argued.

"Yeah, but I can still leave the money. Look, I'm not going to order you around, so please offer me the same respect. There's no demonic presence, and I know how to handle myself. I'm not a porcelain doll." Sesshomaru didn't say anything else. From the little he knew about the priestess, there was one thing he was sure of; she could argue all night. He had experience with that. He was growing tired of her games. Right now, his feelings were more focused on the puzzle. The more leads he got, the more his mind worked to piece it all together. Just the thing to distract him from Kagome.

"You can look at that. I'll be back soon." She waved as she carried her backpack and exited the clearing. For a minute, Sesshomaru was disturbed to see her leave his sight. The last time that had happened, she had almost gotten herself killed. He shook his head. One minute he was tired of her, the next he worrying about her every move. He had never been more indecisive before. Nor did he like it.

He looked down at the book Kagome had left next to him. It was the perfect thing to distract his emotions and let his intellectual side take over. He picked it up, careful not to tear at it with his claws. When he opened it, the first thing he saw was the title. There was a number, a large number next to the word, "Japan". Sesshomaru's eyes widened. Did it mean it was the number of editions prior to it, or was that the actual year? He looked at the place where Kagome had left. He had always suspected that the girl was of a different continent, but of a different time? It was plausible. In fact, it would explain a lot. Another puzzle. He'd investigate this one thoroughly. It would be better than switching emotions so easily. Not to mention that what his hanyou brother knew, he, Lord Sesshomaru, should know better. In the meantime, he flipped through the book, trying to learn as much as he could from it.

0.o

Kagome walked into a village. In this time, villages were pretty far apart. She had found this one the day before. Anyone from the burnt village would have had to travel for a full day to reach its neighbor. Although, with a car, such a trek wouldn't take nearly as long. By hanyou, it would probably take half a day.

Kagome liked thinking of distances in such a way. Now, in her own time, the world really was small! Only in these times could one truly appreciate its grandeur.

The village was bustling. Well, the people were walking around, working, at least. She walked around, looking intently for a weapons shop. In these troubled times, every village had at least one.

Kagome turned a corner. There was one. An old man with a scar going from the top of his eye to his cheek was attending it. He seemed to be sleeping. However, Kagome didn't let down her guard. He seemed menacing, even in his sleep. She walked inside, taking her shoes off before she entered, as was custom.

She looked around, trying to find the right arrows. She didn't like the big ones, and some of the small ones were too flimsy. She compared each collection of arrows to the one she had from Kaede's village. Kaede had a knack for making arrows, one that Kagome hoped to learn from the village elder some day. She wondered if Kikyou used to buy her arrows or if she made them herself.

Kagome looked around again. The little shop had almost every weapon she could imagine from older times. There were swords, daggers, knives, axes, blowguns, bags of powder which Kagome assumed was some sort of poison, darts, and arrows of course. Kagome glanced back at the man. He was still in the same position. She took a step closer, and she wasn't surprised to see a small dagger in his hand. He was resting it on the table. All of a sudden, Kagome was in a bit of a hurry to leave.

She turned back to the arrows. Comparing another bunch to her own, Kagome finally found what she was looking for. Putting as may arrow as she could fit into her quiver, she read the price and got out enough money. She always had money for this time.

As she laid the coins on the dusty counter, the old man's hand shot out, grabbing her own hand with a grip like iron. Kagome just barely kept herself from yelling in shock. "Who's there?" The man's eyes looked in her direction, only through her. He could feel her presence, touch her hand, but she was still invisible to him.

"Sorry," Kagome said, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. Quickly, she took out one of the arrows and poked his hand, just hard enough to draw a little blood. He pulled his arm away, yelping. After that, Kagome ran away from the village. For the next week, they'd be blaming a ghost for hurting their weapons man. If InuYasha and the others stopped by there, they'd get free lodgings for a fake exorcism. It was the way of the world.

_At least I've got more arrows,_ Kagome thought, running past countless trees. She really hoped she remembered the way to the camp. As soon as she was within ten yards of their camp, she could feel Sesshomaru's yoki. She calmed herself, put a hand through her hair, flipped her bangs, and tried to look as though she hadn't just run a good way to avoid nothing. Even Sesshomaru would laugh at those kinds of actions.

When she finally entered the clearing, she saw Sesshomaru scouring over her textbook. He actually seemed interested in it for more than just the pictures. _Maybe he should be my study buddy,_ Kagome thought, half seriously. She looked at the sky. It would seem that her excursion had taken the whole day. How could Sesshomaru deal with sitting in that one place all day? Maybe he had some demonic patience power.

**So, what do you think? I've tried to get in contact with Sesshomaru and InuYasha. I hope that at least one of them comes. What about you guys?**

"**You must be clinically insane. Why didn't I see it before?"**

**And you can't climb cliffs. We've all got our quirks. So, to the people who aren't Naraku, please REVIEW! COMMENT! I really want to hear what you have to say about this story. Except you Naraku. We already know what you think.**

"**Yes. And I will do all in my power to stop you from completing it."**

**You're climbing up a cliff. Unless an incarnation comes and helps you, and that basically narrows it down to Kanna or Byakuya since Kagura is so not going to help you, you're stuck there. BWAHAHAHA-**

"**STOP LAUGHING!"**

**Until next time, please review! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey! Sorry it took so long to update. See, the thing is…**

"**I've escaped! Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle!"**

**Yeah, Naraku finished climbing the cliff, and InuYasha was the only one to come to the teaparty and he didn't like this story, so now I've got both of them chasing me. By the way, Naraku! No one actually says chuckle. You chuckle, you don't say the word!**

"**Like I care!"**

**Ugh, he is really thick.**

As Kagome walked back to her own location across from Sesshomaru, something caught her eye. It was the textbook she had given him. _I still can't believe that he enjoys reading that thing,_ she thought. _But then again, he is Sesshomaru. If there's one thing I've learned from him, it's to expect the unexpected. _Kagome looked at the cover. On it was a huge mountain, supposedly Mt. Fuji. At least, that was according to her geography teacher. Then in big letters, it read, "Japan: Everything" Then in smaller letters, there was the year. _Man, that thing is, like, five years old. You'd think that the school could get new textbooks or something…Oh, wait…_

Kagome's eyes widened. Sesshomaru looked up, but by that time she was covering for it with an even bigger smile on her face. "Hey, Sesshomaru! You enjoying that book?"

"Quite," he answered, then resumed ignoring her. He was already done with most of the book. To Kagome, most of the paragraphs were so bland she could barely concentrate on what it was saying for five minutes.

Anyway, it wasn't Sesshomaru's apparent interest in the subject of geography that had Kagome so worried, (although if anyone from her time had this problem, he or she would have to see a therapist) it was the huge, five inch by ten inch number on the front. _He's seen the year!_ Kagome ruffled through her backpack, trying to think of what to do, what to say, how to react. She buried her face in there, thinking.

Knowing Sesshomaru, he'd probably already have noticed the year. Why he hadn't asked her about it the minute she walked into camp was beyond Kagome. She knew she would have been overly curious if some other era's textbook had been dropped into her lap.

Finally, Kagome reached a decision. "So, learn anything new?" she asked nonchalantly, pushing her backpack aside.

Sesshomaru seemed amused by the question. "Many things. Tomorrow, we move in that direction." He pointed to his left, his fingers all slightly curled except for his index finger.

Kagome stared at him. "Anything else?"

Sesshomaru actually favored her with a very cynical smile. "No."

0.o

Kagome had stopped worrying over Sesshomaru. There was nothing she could do. Sure, he probably had an idea, probably more than idea since he was Sesshomaru, but he obviously didn't want Kagome to actually tell him. In her opinion, he was probably going to confront her about it when he had all the answers. Whatever, Kagome couldn't stop Sesshomaru from knowing about it, she wasn't going to waste her time fretting over it.

Meanwhile, Sesshomaru just finishing her geography book. _I should have asked him to give me some notes,_ Kagome thought, unzipping her backpack.

With a _thud_ of finality, Sesshomaru closed the book. Walking across the clearing to where Kagome sat, he handed it to her. Kagome took it and started a war between her and her backpack to make room for the book.

Sesshomaru knelt down and pushed the book easily into place inside the book bag. Then he zipped it up with his one hand. "Show-off," Kagome said, although, secretly, she was thanking him a hundred times for the help. Sesshomaru just turned and almost started walking. Then he faced Kagome.

"Are you ready?" he asked. Kagome barely kept the surprise off her face. _Why is it that every time he speaks, I'm surprised? I mean, it's not like he's incapable or something…_

"Yep. I'm good. Onward and upward!" Sesshomaru nodded, and they headed out.

It wasn't long before morning became noon, noon became evening, and evening turned to night.

Throughout the day, Kagome practically fed textbooks to Sesshomaru, who was more than eager to accept them in his own Sesshomaru-y way. Which mainly consisted of nods, grunts, and eye movements.

To keep herself busy, Kagome preoccupied herself by thinking. Koga couldn't possibly keep InuYasha busy forever (although, that wasn't impossible…), and who knew when the Panther King would strike again, and there was also the culprit to think about, plus the destination. She also wondered if Sesshomaru had figured everything out already. He seemed certain of which mountain to go to. And there were many mountains in Japan.

As the sun dipped below the ground, Sesshomaru stopped and sat by a tree, as was his customary way of saying, "We're resting here. Like it or not."

"Ah," Kagome sighed, stretching. "Well, that was productive, I guess. Is that the mountain over there?"

"Obviously," Sesshomaru answered, head in Kagome's math book. "When would any of this be useful in actual situations?"

"Huh?" Kagome asked, setting down her sleeping bag.

"Hn," Sesshomaru turned the book around so she could see it.

"Oh, algebra!" All of a sudden, Kagome started laughing. "Sorry, it's just that everyone wonders that!"

Sesshomaru waited her out. He enjoyed the sound of her laughter, even if he hated that it was directed at him. All in all, he was in an okay mood.

"Okay, okay," Kagome gasped for breath. "Whoo! I just exercised more just now than the entire day! Well, algebra teachers use it a whole lot! And then I guess if you're going to build something, although I can think of a few simpler ways to do that…"

"So the teachers teach this so that future teachers can use it?"

"Well, that's one job. There's a whole world of ways to use it. Of course, in your case, I'm pretty sure you're not going to be wondering what X is when your life is at stake."

"My life is never at stake."

"Oookay, when the other guy's about to be defeated. I'm sure you want to savor each moment."

"You're learning," Sesshomaru said.

"I try," Kagome smiled. Brushing her hair, she got into her sleeping bag. "Night, Sesshomaru!"

"Hn," he replied.

o.0

Sesshomaru kept a look out as Kagome slept. He was gaining a grudging respect for this priestess. More than a priestess. A time traveler.

Not only did she risk everything to help InuYasha and his company and show incredible loyalty through every up and down, but she practically lived a whole world that she had to adjust to. It almost seemed unfair.

And now she had had her somewhat regular life with her group, her pack, taken away from her, and yet she grinned and bared it. Sesshomaru remembered thinking something along those lines when they're journey had first started, but now those feelings were multiplied. By a lot.

And that wasn't necessarily a good thing for him.

But he didn't really care.

What he did know was that he wanted to ask Kagome about her life in the other world. She seemed to know that, though, the way she was handing him her books. He did notice that there was one that she kept in her backpack, trying to hide it from him. _How pointless_, he thought. However, it was probably important.

0.o

Kagome always tried to keep her mind busy right before she fell asleep. It kept her occupied during the seven minutes of somewhat-awake-somewhat-asleep that everyone has at night.

Tonight, she was thinking, _Why on earth did I bring my history book to feudal Japan?_

**InuYasha. Come on. Your arch-nemesis is right over there, and you're going to ignore him?**

"**Yeah. I am."**

**But I haven't even finished the story. You should know, you have a happy ending.**

"**Does ole Sticky over there have one?"**

**No.**

"**Okay. Good enough for me. Enjoy the tea party, Naraku. Wind Scar!"**

**Now Naraku's the guy talking in quotations.**

"**You don't have to introduce me. I mean, who are you talking to, anyway?"**

**Nobody.**

"**And why is it that he still uses the Wind Scar on me? Didn't we find out that doesn't work? And how come every time he has this infallible attack, I somehow defeat, or somebody else does, when things should be getting easier."**

**I don't know. Why are you asking me?**

"**No, the question is, 'Why am I not going after you?'"**

**Oh. OH! Well, then, I'm going to run, and you aren't going to catch me. I'll be back soon to all those who care. And don't forget, ALL REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED! Even by Naraku.**

"**Not really."**

**Yeah, well, you're the antagonist, and no one really cares what you think. Bye! =1**


	13. Chapter 13

**So, now you're a floating head? How'd that happen?**

"**You know perfectly well how that happened."**

**Well, let's say I don't. Why don't you tell the masses?**

"**I will not, and you cannot make me."**

**That's what you think. (Evil glare.) You should just reconsider that while I write this next chapter. Bwa-**

"**I swear, if you start your evil laughter again, I will show you what this floating head of mine is capable of."**

**All right, grumpy pants. Well, please enjoy chapter 13!**

"Wow, that's one big mountain!" Kagome leaned her head all the way back, staring through the clouds and trying to see the tip. "What's it called again?"

"Unimportant." Sesshomaru answered, continuing onward.

"Wow! I wonder who came up with that. Mt. Unimportant. You know, anyone who lives up there would be thoroughly insulted." Kagome glanced up at Sesshomaru. _He's his usual silent self I suppose._ "So, how are we going to climb this baby?"

Sesshomaru looked at Kagome. Somehow, even though they had traveled through thorny bushes and muddy puddles, she'd kept herself remarkably clean. Sure, there were a few cuts and bruises, but, overall, she looked fit and able to continue. However, after three full days of travel, even he was a little tired.

Kagome examined Sesshomaru. His wounds from his fight with Karashima were all gone, so she'd taken back the band-aids and planned to throw them away at the next village. Other than that, the only thing she noticed was that his puffy pants were slightly less puffy. He hadn't slept in two nights, though, so Kagome assumed that he was exhausted. He also had cuts and bruises, but no more than Kagome herself.

Glancing briefly up at the sun (because, apparently, demons could do that without later needing glasses), Sesshomaru started pacing the grounds. "We will sleep here for the night, then continue on in the morning."

Kagome stood there for a minute, then sat down. She rummaged through her backpack, trying to find something. Smiling, she pulled out a pack of small pieces of paper. "These are called index cards, Sesshomaru." She started writing on them as she continued talking. "I assume you've got a plan by now." Sesshomaru simply nodded. "Well, let's hear it."

Sesshomaru considered all the pros and cons, finally decided that it was worth it, and explained it all to Kagome.

"Whoo, that's pretty thorough." Kagome whistled. "Remind me to never play you in chess." She scooted closer to him. By now, the sun was setting in the west. "There's only one problem." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

"And what would that be?" he asked nonchalantly.

Kagome smiled mischievously. "I've got a better one."

The moon was already up when Kagome finished elaborating on Sesshomaru's already heavily detailed plan. Throughout the entire thing, she'd managed to continue writing on her index cards. Occassionally, she would stumble on her words or have to cross something out on her paper.

"So, what do you think?" Kagome asked, straightening her cards.

Sesshomaru was momentarily at a loss for words, although it didn't show, since he spoke so little. Finally, he drew himself together. "Remind me to never take you up on any offer to play chess, Kagome."

Kagome jumped a bit. _He used my name. Oh, man._ Kagome remembered the first time InuYasha had used her name. With Sesshomaru, he'd never insulted her, but he'd also never actually used her name. With InuYasha, him saying her name had been a huge milestone. Would it be the same now? Or was Kagome just overanalyzing things.

"W-well," Kagome frowned at her stutter, controlling herself so it wouldn't happen again, "um, these are really special. They help people study and learn things. See, what you do is that you read the question on this side." Kagome showed Sesshomaru the side with a bunch of lines. Written on it was, _Who is Sesshomaru's half-brother?_ "Then you flip to this side, the one without any lines, to read the answer." _InuYasha._ "If you get it right, then you can put it in another pile. If you get it wrong, then you have to put it back with the rest of the cards."

Sesshomaru turned to the next card. _Who are Rin and Jaken?_ Flip. _Sesshomaru's traveling companions._ Next. _What is Sesshomaru's favorite snack?_ Flip. _Potato Chips =)_

"Don't look at them all now," Kagome said, putting her hand out before he could see the next one. "Save it for when you're lonely or something." She smiled enigmatically. "You can use it to pass the time. Just…just not now. Keep a few for the future."

Kagome walked away and slipped into her sleeping bag. Meanwhile, Sesshomaru started turning the pile of cards 'round and 'round in his hand. There must have been at least fifty, but no more than one hundred. Sesshomaru eyed the sleeping form of Kagome. Quickly, he looked at the answer of the last card. It read, _Sesshomaru._

0.o;;

"Okay, Sesshomaru, I'm going to the hot springs now. No peaking!" However, Kagome knew he wouldn't. He was sitting in the same spot as the night before. She didn't know if he had slept at all. She didn't know if he even needed sleep, although she assumed he did. Maybe he'd napped a little throughout the night.

"Hn," he responded. Kagome sighed. _You'd figure he'd be able to come up with a little more than that,_ she frowned. _Fine then, if that's the way he's going to be. _"Hn," she grunted right back. Sesshomaru looked up as if to say, "Was that supposed to be funny?"

Kagome just shook her head, her classic smile returning. She grabbed her extra outfit that she always kept hidden in her backpack. This one wasn't another school uniform. She only had two, one for the time that she was in the feudal era, and another clean one for when she returned. She rarely had both of them in the same era at the same time.

This outfit consisted of a skirt, this one a bit longer than her school uniform, and a comfortable, short-sleeve top. The skirt was green, and her top was pink. She loved skirts, probably because they were always so comfortable and breezy. It was the ideal outfit for feudal era travel.

Kagome stepped into the hot spring, enjoying herself. She loved being clean, and it was somewhat upsetting that she didn't get to do this every day. However, today was not a shower of leisure. Pretty soon, her and Sesshomaru's plan would be put into action, and she didn't want to be caught in the hot spring while that happened.

Soon after she had redressed herself and combed her hair, Kagome felt a strong demonic presence. And it wasn't Sesshomaru's. She grabbed her dirty clothes and started heading back to camp.

It was a long way back to camp, and even if Kagome had run, she wouldn't have needed her weapon of choice. The demonic aura was gone long before she arrived. So was Sesshomaru.

o.0;;;

The Panther King invaded their camp with the swiftness that he and his kind were renown for. Before, when Kagome and Sesshomaru had seen him, he was in the process of decomposing. Well, with the power of the Sacred Jewel Shards, he was now as fit and handsome as he was in his glory days. This was the first thing Sesshomaru noticed when the Panther King attacked.

The second thing was that the Panther King was coming straight for him.

Sesshomaru had already pocketed the index cards Kagome had given him. It was obvious that Kagome had wanted him to conserve them for the future, so he had obliged out of respect. It wasn't a weakness, he, Sesshomaru, had no weaknesses. But it was more than respect.

"Where's your little priestess, Sesshomaru?" the Panther King taunted. Sesshomaru glared.

"Last time, I drew my sword but didn't shed any of your blood. This time will be different." Sesshomaru drew Tokijin. "Dragon Strike!" The Panther King didn't have any time to react. It was a direct hit, and it should have struck him down, injured him greatly at least.

But that would have been without the Sacred Jewel Shards.

It was just dumb luck that the Panther King was the opponent of Sesshomaru. It was pure genious that he had been chosen to be resurrected. And he laughed maniacally after Sesshomaru's ending dissipated into the earth. "Well, that didn't work, now did it, Sesshomaru?"

"It accomplished what needed to be done." Sesshomaru sheathed his sword.

"What are you talking about Sesshomaru? Did you finally lose your h-ack!" the Panther King fell to his knees. He held his left arm, where Sesshomaru's attack had taken full impact. Even with the power of the Sacred Jewel Shards, Sesshomaru's attack was enough to cut a huge gash all along the Panther King's arm. Sesshomaru smirked. The Panther King spat at him. "Do you really think this enough to do me in?"

"No, not really," Sesshomaru grabbed Tenseiga this time.

"Oh no you don't!" The Panther King used all his energy to get behind Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru turned and hit him with the hilt of Tenseiga, pushing him to the ground. The Panther King glanced briefly to his right, and that's when he saw it.

Kagome never took her bow and arrows with her when she bathed. It was just cumbersome, and, honestly, totally unnecessary. However, it was the perfect weapon for the Panther King. He hastily picked it up and aimed at Sesshomaru. The inudaiyoukai didn't appear troubled.

"So, for some reason that I completely disagree with, my, well, I suppose you could call her my employer, wants me to bring you back. Alive. Now, here's the question. Will you come willingly?" the Panther King didn't wait for an answer. "Yeah, I thought not." He let the arrow fly. It hit Sesshomaru Sesshomaru in his armor, then proceeded to penetrate it.

The Panther King smiled. "And she said it would be difficult." Sesshomaru slumped to the ground, dropping Tenseiga and his moko moko-sama. The Panther King picked him up and started heading up the mountain. He'd be back for the priestess later.

Sesshomaru opened his eyes soon after to find himself in a small cell. He hoped Kagome would be okay. In the meantime, he decided to read the index cards. _What are Sesshomaru's swords called?_ Flip.

0.o

Kagome picked up Sesshomaru's moko moko-sama and Tenseiga, attaching them to her backpack. Now she really had a full load, plus a mountain to climb. _I'd better get started. Mt. Unimportant is waiting._

**Okay, so, what'd you guys think? I'll just apologize now for the horrible cliff hanger, it's just that if I continue, well, then, this would be, like, four times as long. Plus, it just seemed to fit here, the ending I mean.**

"**You're so awful. No one's going to review this now, you know. They're all going to flame you."**

**Butt out. Anyway, you have a story to tell. Now, do it, before I take away your shampoos and conditioners.**

"**Oh, I really don't like you. Readers, what happened is that I sat in my miasma too long, and now my body is gone. It kind of backfired on me."**

**Ha! Man, your miasmas so sticky that it can destroy YOU! Oh man-**

"**No evil laughter."**

**Fine. Well, please guys, REVIEW! It tells me that you want me to continue the story, and, let's face it, it's really helpful. If you really hate the cliffhanger, then I'll never do it again, which would be mean longer chapters and longer waits. Please tell me what you think as well. And don't worry about Sesshomaru. He can handle this.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi guys!**

"**Will you be quiet!"**

**No, no I won't. Sorry about that. Naraku here is grumpy because he has to go to school. He's actually studying right now, which gives me a break to write the next chapter.**

"**You know all that, and yet you still persist to talk?"**

**Yep. Anyway, I have to apologize for the longer-than-usual time it took me to write the next chapter, so I decided to do something special.**

"**Oh please."**

**Ignore him. Anyway, not only is this chapter incredibly long-**

"**I'll finish studying sooner or later, you know."**

**But I also added a chapter to Feudal FanFiction. A couple of people asked for it to be continued, so I decided to do that. So, either I'm a complete genius, or a total scatterbrain on this one.**

"**You're always a scatterbrain. I keep trying to tell you that! And no one likes this story, you're just humoring yourself."**

**Oh, get back to studying for your test on right and wrong.**

"**Grrr!"**

**Yeah, he's taking Right and Wrong 101 this semester. Guess who his teacher is?...Muso! Man, that room must be awkward. Ha!**

"**Just write your little story, and when I get done here, expect a whole lot of pain."**

**You know, you're the only one in pain here. But all right, I'll stop this incredibly long rant. Enjoy chapter 14!**

Kagome crouched, ready to jump. _Okay. You can do this. 3…2…1…Go!_ Kagome leapt with all her might, grabbing onto a tiny branch at the last second. She hung there for awhile, swinging gently, then let go, landing on a stone path. She teetered on the edge for a second, regained her balance, and continued on her way up the mountain.

From the ground, Mt. Unimportant, as Kagome consistently called it in her mind, seemed to rise up forever. From halfway up, it still seemed to go on forever. Kagome wondered if when she got to the top, it would seem to go on forever, anyway. That would just be weird.

Getting to where she was now had taken three quarters of the day. The sun was setting, Kagome was tiring, but she still went on, adjusting her baggage every few seconds.

And by baggage, that means a backpack, a bow, arrows, tenseiga, and Sesshomaru's fluff.

Yeah, Kagome was beat.

But she trudged ahead. Would Sesshomaru stop because he had to carry so many items? Would InuYasha? Kagome was no different. Whatever they could do, she could do too, even if it did take her a little more time.

After Kagome had come back from the hot springs to find Sesshomaru missing and his sword and mokomoko lying on the ground, she had immediately started up the mountain. At first, it was easy. There was an obvious trail, probably for monks or priestesses going on some kind of spiritual journey, but as she got farther up, the trail seemed to disappear. But that didn't really bother Kagome. She traveled without trails most of the time anyway.

No, the tough parts were the gaping holes in between ridges in the mountains. At those points, Kagome would stop, try to find another path, not find one, and then try to hop across the gap. Thus far, she hadn't fallen…yet.

_Oh, great. Another cliff._ Kagome stopped, gazing at the abyss in front of her. She looked up and sighed. Still a long ways to go. No other paths, as per usual. Just a dull, grey wall to her left. Actually, it was all dirt, which made Kagome think of a ginormous ant pile. She'd have to jump this one as well. She took off her backpack, swinging her arm back and forth, trying to judge the distance. She let go, the backpack barely making it to the other side.

This was by far the biggest gap in the mountain Kagome had come across. The usual five feet across ones had nothing on this one. It was at least fifteen feet, and there was only one flimsy stick in the middle to help Kagome across.

_Let's see,_ Kagome thought, reluctantly doing math in her head. _Fifteen feet, a stick halfway through…that's a seven and a half foot jump. And that stick could only hold, at most, twenty pounds from the looks of it, and I'm not twenty pounds…This isn't good._ Kagome didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that it would be close to impossible to make the jump without a pole or something for leverage.

This was feudal Japan, on a mountain in the middle of nowhere. There were no poles in sight.

_Okay, this is a slight bump. But look. There's a little thingy road type place to shimmy on…gosh, I don't even know what I'm saying!_ _It doesn't even make sense!_ Kagome tiptoed closer to the cliff. There, along the wall, was a small edge that she could walk across. But it was so small. Kagome tried not to think about it as she took her first step. Then another. And another.

Kagome sighed, relaxing a little. _This isn't so hard. _She looked back across, shivering and concentrating on her feet. Then there was a crack. Kagome gasped as the small ridge started collapsing beneath her feet. At the last moment, Kagome jumped, aiming for the tiny stick. Her fingertips brushed it, and for a slight millisecond, Kagome had hope. Then it slipped from her grasp, and the air seemed to cave in, letting her fall even faster. Kagome couldn't help it. She screamed.

0.O;

Sesshomaru didn't hear the scream. He'd lost his daiyoukai hearing abilities, but that didn't mean he couldn't read. He was already halfway through Kagome's index cards. And they were becoming quite interesting.

_What's a vehicle used to help me get from one place to another? It has two wheels, and InuYasha can't seem to use it well._ That one Sesshomaru didn't know. Flip. _A bicycle, silly!_

That's exactly what Sesshomaru needed. A card with attitude. It was as though the girl had read his thoughts while she had been writing. Did she really know him that well already? Sesshomaru stared into space, past the cards. By now, she'd probably be slightly more than halfway up the mountain.

_Okay, so what's a vehicle used by little kids in my home with three wheels? Here's a hint. Bi- means two, tri- means three, -cycle means circle, and uni-means one, although I'm not going to ask you what a unicycle is, because no one really uses it. I'll draw it instead!_ Underneath was a picture of a stick figure on top of one wheel. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. Flip. _Tricycle._ Next. _Where does Kagome come from? Where's her home?_ Now that was interesting. Sesshomaru got ready to flip the card over, to read the answer that he thought he knew, but wanted to make sure of. However, he didn't get the chance. His cell door opened. Using his daiyoukai speed, he quickly hid the deck of index cards, growling.

"Lord Sesshomaru. Welcome." The voice was even, emotionless. Sesshomaru kept growling. "Oh, don't act surprised. You knew it was me." Immediately, Sesshomaru stopped growling.

"Then I suppose the acting is unnecessary," he said in the same even tones.

"Correct. Now, follow me."

Sesshomaru got up, but he had no intention of actually following the small girl. She sighed. "Don't make me do something that you will regret later, Lord Sesshomaru."

"Doubtful. You are just waiting for an excuse to do some such thing."

The little figure started laughing. Even though she was laughing, it was somehow emotionless. That was something that chilled the mighty Sesshomaru, though he didn't show it. "Once more, you're correct." The albino girl held up her mirror. "I guess I would take a bit of your soul, just to be safe."

Sesshomaru stood still through the pain. He wasn't about to let Kanna see how much this was paining him.

O.0;;

Kagome breathed in and out, in and out, trying to regain her composure. Her mind took its time to process the information around her. Her hand tightly gripped Sesshomaru's fluff.

At the last moment, the moko-sama had twirled around the stick that jutted out of the dirt wall of the mountain. Before the twig could snap, the mokomoko had lifted Kagome up and over, allowing her to ride on top of it as it glided to the other side of the abyss. When she had alighted, it went back to its normal state on her shoulder.

Kagome took another deep breath, making a mental note to thank Sesshomaru for his incredible planning abilities. She picked up her backpack and started running up the mountain, not about to let her adrenaline go to waste. Then a thought occurred to her. She threw the moko-sama into the air. Immediately, it expanded and stayed in the air. _So that's his secret,_ Kagome thought with a smirk. She jumped on top of it, allowing it to rise to the next level of the mountain. And then the next. In seconds, she was thousands of feet above her original position.

Kagome didn't bother covering her nose. Leaping through the air with InuYasha had made her immune to nosebleeds. Suddenly, Kagome felt a demon aura on top of her. Immediately, she recognized the Panther King's demonic powers. She expertly grabbed behind her, simultaneously getting out her bow. She cocked her arrow, took aim, and fired. The Panther King barely dodged it.

"Come on, fluff!" Kagome shouted. "Evasive maneuvers! Evasive maneuvers!" The mokomoko responded to her command, diving and spinning. Kagome put the bow back on her shoulder and grabbed the fur as hard as she could.

The Panther King was slightly puzzled, but didn't hesitate. The girl wasn't the only one who could fly. Or put on the façade of flight. Really, he was too quick for the human eye to tell the difference.

Kagome watched as the Panther King flew after her. However, she knew enough that he was hopping along the edges of the mountain. "Fluff, fly away from the mountain, but keep rising to the top!" The fluff responded efficiently. _Man, I've got to get me one of these!_ Kagome watched the Panther King fall behind, not able to follow her. She breathed a sigh of relief, but figured that she'd have to deal with him soon enough.

In the meantime, Kagome got her weapon ready. As she cocked her bow, she felt tenseiga at her waist. Kagome glanced down. Sesshomaru had left it for a reason. Maybe, just maybe, if she could combine her purifying skills with Sesshomaru's underworld sword, well, that might be the only way to defeat the Panther King. After all, it wasn't like he was really alive or dead. He was just a home for the shikon jewel shards. A home that was enjoying the ride a little too much.

Kagome prepared. She cocked her bow and arrow, using her mouth to keep it pulled back. Her head quivered a bit from the exertion, but Kagome kept moving. With her free hand, she gripped tenseiga's hilt. She felt it shaking with…excitement? It was as though it had a pulse of its own. At first, it was slow and steady. Kagome held it up, ready to swing when necessary. Suddenly, tenseiga's pulse quickened. Kagome glanced at it, and as she did, a vision of Sesshomaru and Kanna flashed in her mind. _Oh boy. I'd better hurry._ Kagome didn't need narration to know what was going on. Kanna was trying to suck out Sesshomaru's soul.

Looking back toward the mountain, Kagome could see the tip. Or what should have been the tip. Instead, there was a huge castle type building. The roof was red, and the walls were made out of a paper-like material popular of the time. Waiting for her on the red tiles of the roof was the Panther King. He smiled maliciously and waved. Kagome would have waved and smiled back in the same way, but she was a little busy.

The Panther King seemed to realize what she was doing. Honestly, with his eyesight, it wasn't all that difficult. "Really," he yelled, "do you think you can defeat me when the daiyoukai couldn't?"

"Umf, o dat way!" Kagome grumbled through her clenched teeth. The mokomoko responded as though it could read her thoughts. It started flying at the Panther King. Kagome crouched, trying to keep her balance.

"You know it's hopeless, don't you." The Panther King just stood there. If Sesshomaru had been a piece of cake, well, what could a human girl be in comparison? The tough part would be bringing her to his master, Kanna, without killing her.

The moko-sama kept flying at him. "Aster!" Kagome yelled. _Faster!_ The Panther King just shook his head. Kagome flew right over him. He followed her with his eyes, which widened into shock. She hopped off the mokomoko, landing right in front of him. Before he could react, she released her bow. "Ugh!" she groaned. She really hoped this wouldn't entail more visits to the dentist. Her lips were a little red, but nothing that anyone would notice.

Kagome's aim was true. It hit the Panther King right where his sacred jewel shard was. The Panther King screeched. He was being purified. He knew that. He couldn't believe it.

Not hesitating, Kagome rushed at him, swinging tenseiga. The Panther King managed to dodge the first few swipes. With every second that passed, he could feel his the arrow's power disappearing. He was too evil to be purified. "Come on, girly. Did you really think that would work?" Another swipe of the sword dodged. "You're going to regret that shot though." The Panther King took an offensive stance, then dived at Kagome. She turned, getting nicked on her arm by the Panther King's claws. It hurt more than Kagome thought it would have. Probably because he had hit her shard. _He's trying to taint it!_ Kagome thought. Instinctively, she brought her sword down. It hit the Panther King's back, making him fall to the ground. He flipped over, attacking with his claws. Another hit. Kagome ignored it, bringing the tip of tenseiga down. Closing her eyes, she hoped she was as good as aiming a sword as she was an arrow.

There was a bloodcurdling screech. Kagome opened her eyes a crack. The Panther King was writhing on the ground, tenseiga coming up from his chest. Kagome leaned down, picking up the Shikon fragment. The Panther King's body was decaying again. With the help of tenseiga, Kagome had won. As she picked up the shard (which was totally disgusting, by the way. Couldn't the shard have been on his arm or something? But nooooo, it had to be in his eye!), Kagome felt her arm throb. She looked at the shard in her own arm. It was black, tainted. Kagome grimaced. She focused, trying to use her priestess powers to purify that one spot on her body. Suddenly, the shard just broke out her skin, combining with the Panther King's shard.

Kagome screamed. Not from fright, from pain. She slowly used her good arm to reach into her backpack, her mouth a firm line on her face. She applied her bandage, but the pain was still there. For the moment, she put that to the back of her mind.

The Panther King was just bones and chunks of skin, like he was when Kagome had first seen him. His shard was purified, but hers was definitely tainted. _I guess we both lost this one,_ Kagome thought dismally. Now she had one huge fragment that was impossibly half pink, half black. She sighed and put it in the little container around her neck. She didn't have time for this. She had to rescue Sesshomaru.

How twisted was that statement?

**Hey, Naraku!**

"**What? I'm almost done with my homework, and you have the gall to interrupt me?"**

**Well, you see, I just bought some scissors, and I've been looking for someone to test out my new dream.**

"**And that is…"**

**Being a hairstylist! Now, come here, while I cut off all your hair, you floating head, you!**

"**Nooooo! You'll never catch me alive."**

**Oh wow, that was satisfying. Anyway, please, Please, PLLLEEEEEAAAASSSEE review! I want to hear what you think of the story so far. And please forgive me for the late update. I'll post the new chapter of Feudal FanFiction soon, so look forward to that. In the mean time, review and comment. Chao!**


	15. Chapter 15

**All righty. Guess who's back? What? You don't know? It's me! Ah well. Don't worry about it. Of course, I Naraku was here, he'd probably blow a fuse…or a tentacle. It's a funny story. He decided to skip class, 'cause you know how he's evil and stuff. Well, he got caught, so now he's staying after school with Muso for three hours as punishment. If it happens again, then he has to repeat a grade! Naraku, you naughty, floating head, you! Anyway, here's some more of Invisible, the story that you can plainly see :)**

InuYasha leapt above the trees, Kirara trailing behind him with Sango, Miroku, and Shippo on her back. Beneath InuYasha, a tiny tornado was easily keeping pace with them, even though he wasn't a flying cat or a hanyou. He was a full-fledged demon.

Koga wasn't happy with his circumstances at the moment. Kagome had asked him to keep InuYasha and the gang busy while she tried to fix her situation, but how was he supposed to know when she'd be done, or if she was in trouble?

So, after a few days, he and InuYasha had lost their patience.

"I don't care what you say, wolf. Sesshomaru's hiding something about Kagome, and we have to go after him. Honestly, if you don't want to come, we'll be better off. I'm done listening to your lame excuses." InuYasha turned his back to Koga, his arms crossed.

"Listen, Mutt-face. Get this through your thick skull. We. Have. To. Wait. Here." In all honesty, Koga wanted to go just as badly as InuYasha, but Kagome had asked him. And he loved Kagome. She was his woman; he wouldn't let her down.

"And I say we don't. Come on, Sango, Miroku. Let's go find that dog and ask him what's up." Sango and Miroku looked at each other. They nodded, then got up. Sanga was already in her battle outfit, and Miroku quickly grabbed his staff.

"Sorry, Koga, but we must find Lady Kagome. Something suspicious is going on, and she may need our help," Miroku said, patting Koga on the shoulder.

"You can come with us, Koga." Sango got up on Kirara. Since Kagome had disappeared, supposedly down the well, she had been acting consoler and mediator for the group. The guys didn't seem to notice how much they needed that one person to keep arguments at bay and make decisions, and sometimes reach out to someone who might help. Miroku got up behind her. Before he could try anything, "Don't even think about it, monk!" Miroku gripped his staff tighter.

Koga shook his head and rolled his eyes. "You people don't know what you're getting into. But fine." And so, InuYasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Koga were running. InuYasha was following one scent, that of his brother. Koga, however, could follow Sesshomaru's and Kagome's. When they got to a particular clearing, InuYasha stopped for a moment.

"Heh, seems my brother isn't as powerful as he thinks."

"Yes, it looks like a fast-paced battle was fought here. It's hard to believe that Sesshomaru lost, but tracks don't lie." As Sango reached down to get a better look at the tracks in the ground where Sesshomaru and the Panther King battled it out, InuYasha stiffened.

"What's wrong, InuYasha?" Miroku asked, seeing the movement out of the corner of his eye.

InuYasha blinked, then relaxed. "It was nothing. I just thought I smelled…never mind. Come on, let's see where Sesshomaru was taken." They ran off, up toward a huge mountain that was looming over them. They didn't hesitate, and started climbing without pause.

Koga had caught the movement as well. It was at that precise moment that Kagome's scent had become particularly strong. InuYasha must have smelt it, but it was such as short time that he might have been imagining it. Koga was not. _Please, Kagome, _Koga begged, _be all right._

_:)_

Kagome finished climbing the mountain, wiping sweat from her brow. It actually wasn't too difficult, what with Sesshomaru's fluff helping her. The only problem was that it was a very tiny platform, and there was a very big drop. Even though Kagome didn't really have vertigo or anything like it, her heart raced whenever she looked down.

Putting the mokomoko-sama over her shoulder, Kagome took a quick look around. The tip of the moutain was pretty barren, since no trees in their right minds would grow at that elevation. The only interesting thing was a relatively large dojo-like building. _Well, I wonder where I should go?_ Kagome thought sarcastically. She adjusted everything on her shoulders and sheathes, taking out her bow and arrow. She took a deep breath, calming her nerves, then ran into the dojo.

To be honest, Kagome hadn't known what to expect. However, what she saw made her gasp with more surprise than when she saw InuYasha the first time, asleep on the Tree of Ages.

There was Sesshomaru, standing stock-still, not moving an inch. Then there was Kanna, holding out her mirror, obviously trying to suck out his soul. Kanna looked up from her work, toward Kagome. Kagome didn't flinch, although she knew what the little albino could do. She had experienced first hand the soul-sucking abilities of that mirror.

Kagome cocked her bow, taking aim. "Stop sucking Sesshomaru's soul." She smiled. _Just try saying that five times fast!_ She glanced at Sesshomaru, catching his eye. She nodded, then let loose her bow.

Kanna didn't blink. As soon as Kagome had released her bow, some huge, awful-smelling object came between Kagome's line and Kanna. Kagome, however, was quite shaken. She had every right to be.

It wasn't long before InuYasha and the gang caught up to the place where Kagome had defeated the Panther King. "Mutt-face, we should go down. It's obvious that whoever was here means business."

"We can't go down, wolfy. We still have to find Kagome!" InuYasha paced back and forth impatiently as Sango expertly inspected the battle scene.

"Actually, InuYasha, that's not the only reason we have to keep going," Sango said, her voice trembling. Miroku came to her side, trying to see what she saw. He gasped.

"Oh, come on! What are you two-" InuYasha looked over their shoulders. "We've got to hurry!" Shippo, on top of Kirara, asked what everyone else was wondering.

"What's the matter InuYasha?"

He responded as he sped up to the top of the mountain. "The Panther King didn't die!"

:(

Kagome took a step back, trying to get another arrow. "You thought you were rid of me, didn't you?" The Panther King was angry. Kagome's eyes wavered, trying to find a reason, as reason why he was here, now! She had taken away his jewel shard. He should have gone back to his original state of rest!

The Panther King, for once in his life, didn't feel like bantering. He had underestimated the human girl. It wouldn't happen again. He leapt at her with blinding speed. Kagome barely had time to see that he was coming. She wasn't ashamed to admit it, she screamed. She screamed so loudly that even without his heightened senses, Sesshomaru had to cover his ears. He would have, but he was busy trying to keep his soul. The Panther King, with his heightened senses, wasn't so lucky. He felt as though the insides of his ears would come out, and that wasn't pleasant. He stopped, holding his head in his hands.

Kagome fell back, still fumbling to get her arrow. The Panther King seemed a little preoccupied. She kept screaming, trying to keep him that way. Kanna, watching them, pushed her mirror harder.

Finally, after an eternity, Kagome cocked her bow. She stopped screaming. "Take this!" she yelled, firing her weapon. The Panther King's head still hurt. The missile came at him, and he didn't even bother to dodge.

Kagome got up and ran into Kanna. She tackled her to the ground, disrupting her soul-sucking ceremony. Kanna lay there motionless as Kagome wrenched the mirror out of her hands. "Whew. Well that was-" In her peripheral vision, Kagome saw the Panther King running straight at her. She didn't have time to do anything. Instinctively, she held the mirror up for protection. The Panther King scoffed, continued, and then felt a sharp, painful object in his shoulder.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome exclaimed happily. Sesshomaru felt fine now that the mirror was out of Kanna's hands. Kagome smiled wryly. "Well, this certainly isn't going as we planned, huh?"

Sesshomaru looked at her. "No. It's going exactly as we planned. Except for this one." Sesshomaru glared at the Panther King. How could he still be there? Surely Kagome had taken away his jewel shard.

The Panther King cackled. "You two really know nothing! I'm the Panther King! Did you really think I would stake my life on a measly jewel?" That's when it hit Kagome.

"It's still tainted," she whispered, looking at the jewel shard within her. "I'm his lifeline!"

"You are no such thing!" the Panther King spat, disgusted by the prospect.

Kagome sighed. "You know, it's been awhile since I had to purify shards within me. Last time, I was cursed, and it came out so simply. This time is different." She looked at the mirror. "And I bet this is the missing link. The curse. You were right, Sesshomaru. Kanna had been planning this all along!"

That night, when Sesshomaru and Kagome had made their plans, Sesshomaru had revealed his suspicions. "Kanna is the architect of our misery."

Kagome had stared at him, a light shining in her eyes. "It makes perfect sense. The Panther King said, 'she', meaning that Naraku was out of the picture. There are only so many 'shes' out there with this kind of power. Kagura would be another choice, but she hates Naraku, and wouldn't do anything to the only people able to destroy him. Kanna has access to the jewel shard, and Naraku's trust. The shard that you found was placed there earlier, her scent covered by her powerful mirror. Then, when you gave it to me, she used that power to transfer it into my soul. However, a little bit of the shards abilities remained with you, causing your senses to be whacked out."

Sesshomaru smiled. Kagome had been shocked, but Sesshomaru hadn't offered much of an explanation. Then Kagome had gone on to make an elaborate plan where he would get kidnapped. She somehow knew that Kanna would perceive him as a bigger threat, and take him out of the picture first. Sesshomaru had let the Panther King capture him. Kagome would proceed to climb the mountain, on the lookout for the Panther King. He came, and that's when she would have to defeat him. That was a shaky part, and Sesshomaru hadn't been all for it, but Kagome had convinced him, saying that she had had tougher battles before and she would have more in the future.

Sesshomaru, in the meantime, would keep Kanna busy. She would obviously try to capture his soul. It would make her more powerful and get him out of the picture. Sesshomaru had assured Kagome that his soul was large enough to withstand anything. Kagome believed him. Then Kagome would come in and free Sesshomaru. They would interrogate Kanna, remove the cursed shard within Kagome, then go home for rice cakes.

However, the Panther King had survived. Neither Kagome nor Sesshomaru had even thought that Kagome's tainted shard would be the link. They had been sure that the Panther King was using a shard given to him by Kanna. Instead, he had been using two!

Kagome remembered all this as she held the mirror. She rolled her eyes. "If I get seven years of bad luck because of this, I blame you, Sesshomaru." Then she tossed the mirror to the ground as hard as she could.

8/

InuYasha and the gang ran into the dojo, not caring who or what was in there. InuYasha could smell Kagome in there. That was all that mattered.

What they saw in there shocked him. Sesshomaru was helping Kagome to her feet. She was holding her arm. She smiled meekly. On the floor in front of Sesshomaru was a mound of white dirt. Purified. A mirror's remains lay all across the floor. Kanna was nowhere to be found. She had escaped.

Kagome looked at InuYasha and her friends. She smiled. "You guys miss all the action, don't you?"

**No, this is not the end. Yet. We're getting there. Naraku refuses to show up now. He was really upset when he found out Kanna had betrayed him. And worse, failed. So, yeah, that's basically his reason for trying to stop this story. I'll continue it ASAP! But, please, in the meantime, read, review, and comment. Please! REVIEW!**


	16. Chapter 16

**All righty. This still isn't the last chapter. This is like a recap meets confusion helper meets awesomeness chapter, leading into the next and final chapter. Now, instead of me telling you what's going to happen, I'll just start writing. Yeah…I'd better start writing.**

"**I'm going to get you!"**

**Great! Now Naraku decides to finish his morals course. On the run again!**

So…what happened?

That's what Kagome was thinking as she gazed up at the stars. She was home. Not her home in her era, but with InuYasha and Kaede and everyone else whom she considered a second family.

But, for now, Kagome wasn't in the present. InuYasha had been so relieved to see her back, and she had hugged him and the rest of her friends. Sesshomaru had gone his own way, not saying a word. He probably wanted to get to Rin to make sure that Jaken hadn't set the surrounding forest on fire with his Staff of Two Heads or something.

Sesshomaru. That was the beginning. For this whole epidemic, and her big battles in the feudal era. After him, Kagome had met Shippo, then Miroku, then Sango and Kirara, and they had helped her and InuYasha with their battles against evil demons.

So, now, Kagome thought of how Sesshomaru and her had finished their journey together. It had begun with them going over what had happened that night.

Sesshomaru was the first one to really put two and two together. Kagome was halfway there.

It had become obvious to Sesshomaru the minute, no the second that his senses disappeared. To put it simply, that doesn't happen every day in a inu daiyoukai's life. Except for puberty and late in the millions, but Sesshomaru was five hundred years old, so neither option was plausible. However, Kagome had made a few good comments about that fact. In the end, Sesshomaru had assured her that in human years, or appearance, he was around nineteen. Kagome still joked, much to Sesshomaru's annoyance.

So, anyway, soon after Sesshomaru had noticed the change in his senses of smell and hearing, Kagome had showed up, wondering where InuYasha was. Now, Sesshomaru knew enough about his brother to realize that something was wrong. Last time he had checked, InuYasha had never left any members of his gang alone, especially not in the woods were dangerous demons lurked.

"So you were worried about me!" Kagome had shouted triumphantly.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. _May I continue?_ His gaze inquired. Kagome zipped her lips. _That's not really a promise,_ Sesshomaru had noted. He continued anyway.

Sesshomaru had followed Kagome to InuYasha's village. InuYasha hadn't seen her, confirming Sesshomaru's theory that both he and the human girl were intertwined in a mission that would change their lives. Of course, had hadn't said of that word for word.

Then Karashima had shown up. Seemingly out of nowhere. In fact, if it hadn't been for Kagome's powerful priestess abilities, the great of Sesshomaru might have been defeated. Might being the operative word.

However, he had survived, and that got him thinking. Who could send a high ranking demon such as Karashima after him and Kagome? Who was always working an angle involving mighty beings? It wasn't every day that a daiyoukai actually attacked a human and another daiyoukai. Actually, it was completely of unheard of. Karashima had been the first, and most likely the last. He had been a wild card, sure, but someone had manipulated him.

And that wasn't all. It was not common knowledge that Sesshomaru and all other inu youkai had problems with birds, ravens in particular. Karasu youkai had a special venom in their feathers, a venom so powerful that no other type of demon could resist it. Not even a poison expert of Sesshomaru's caliber. Karashima was one of three karasu youkai with this ability; the other two spent their lives battling over who would eat what in northern lands.

There was another important hint that Karashima had unwittingly given away. He had scratched Kagome's arm. His claws had a little poison in them, and yet that was not hindering Kagome as much as it should have. At first, Sesshomaru had taken it to be her miko powers, but then he realized that even with her abilities, she should have needed bed rest for at least a day. Instead, she was bandaging his wounds with only slight utterances of pain.

That was when Sesshomaru realized that Kagome had a sacred jewel shard inside of her. That shard was probably affecting him as well, so it must have been the one he had given to her. It made sense, seeing how it was only the next day that their problems had fully arisen.

So, that narrowed down the enemy list to three possibilities, all of which concerning Naraku in some direct or indirect way. There was Naraku himself, Kanna, or Kagura. Now, Sesshomaru had no real love for Kagura, but she seemed sincere in her vengeance against Naraku, so he couldn't possibly assume that she would try to take out two of Naraku's most powerful adversaries. That left Kanna and Naraku.

Well, the Panther King had cleared that up quite nicely, though Sesshomaru had been a little peeved to have drawn his sword and not used it. He hadn't wanted to protect the village, but Kagome's compassionate heart had led them to the biggest and most important clue. The Panther King had said "she". Naraku was out of the picture.

So Kanna. That made sense. Sure, she was unemotional most of the time, but Naraku was her master and creator. She might have wanted to please him or just act on her own will. Sesshomaru wasn't one to get inside another's head. All he cared about was relieving himself of the situation.

Koga had shown up to help with that battle. He had seen Kagome, in fact. Now that made Sesshomaru wonder. Originally, he had thought that his lack of sound and sniff and given him extra sight, but what if there was something more? But, then, why had Hikkaku and Ginta seen Kagome as well? This was when Sesshomaru realized that the powers of the Shikon no Tama did not just stop at the jewel shards, but extended to those who had experienced it for long periods of time. He had held on to the shard for a day, and look what it had cost him! Ginta and Hikkaku were ordinary demons, yes, but they spent almost every day and night in Koga's company. Obviously, some of the jewel's powers had rubbed off on them. Of course, their endurance sure wasn't being helped.

After the battle in the village, Sesshomaru put two and two together, and with a little help from Kagome's "modern" materials, he had concluded which mountain Kanna was most likely orchestrating this entire affair.

So, after a little prodding from Kagome, Sesshomaru had explained his plans, his thinkings, practically everything thus far. Kagome had been an incredible listener, writing on her notecards. Together, they had come up with an ingenious scheme, and in the end, succeeded.

However, somewhere between being attacked by some of the most powerful demons to camping out each night, Sesshomaru had gotten to actually know Kagome, and she him. Looking back, Sesshomaru couldn't bring himself to regret the experience.

That's why, when InuYasha and all of his friends had shown up mere seconds after the Panther King's final battle, Sesshomaru had almost prevented them from taking Kagome. However, he realized that it wasn't his choice whether she stay or go. Kagome's life was up to Kagome, and only she could, should, and would decide whom she wanted to stay with.

Now Kagome gazed at the stars, thinking some things she never thought she'd think. Most of them concerned Sesshomaru, a lot of them touched on her relationships with InuYasha and Kikyo, and several of them took her to other time periods.

A few miles away, Sesshomaru gazed up at the same stars. He was almost finished. It was the last card. The one whose answer was _Sesshomaru_.

_Who figured almost everything out? From Kanna to my era to defeating the Panther King? Who was my protector for such a short period yet showed so much care? Who's the emotional, emotionless daiyoukai who now knows the difference between a bicycle and a tricycle._

Flip.

_Sesshomaru._

**Come on…type…and done! All right! Second to last chapter! I'll try to post soon, but Naraku…**

"**You finished the story? That's the most embarrassing tale ever! I will get you!"**

**Miasma boy's coming. Please, review! The last chapter will be awesome! Yeah, I know what's going to happen, as the author. It's kind of weird, huh? I mean, you're the reader, and you're trying to imagine where I'm going with this. I mean, obviously, it's a SessKag, but-**

"**Seriously? SERIOUSLY? I'm coming after you and you have the audacity to rant?"**

**Gotta run! Please review and comment!**


	17. Chapter 17

So, there Kagome sat, staring at the stars, thinking about the past, the present, the future. All of these remarkably interconnected. What might have once been Kagome's past was now her present, and her present can sometimes be considered her future. Kagome smiles at the loop she has just spun, of the insanity of it all.

Kagome didn't even look up as the grass next to her shifted, then was mashed as someone plopped next to her. She had heard his footfalls enough over the years to recognize them without having to actually see him. "Hey InuYasha," Kagome said, smiling faintly. She didn't know what she had been expecting. Maybe this was the way things would always be.

"Hey," InuYasha responded. For a while, they were silent, gazing at the beautiful sky. Kagome recalled a day way back when she had told InuYasha that in her time, the stars never shined as brightly.

InuYasha started to fidget. Kagome giggled, wondering if he would ever be able to sit still for more than two minutes. But it was the effort that mattered. It was always the thought that counted when it came to Kagome and InuYasha.

Suddenly, InuYasha spoke up. "Do you remember that day?"

Kagome blinked, actually turning to face him. He was blushing, his whole face a totally different shade of pink. "Which one?" Kagome asked, raising her eyebrow in a way that would have made Sesshomaru proud.

InuYasha turned away, as was his instinct, but then slowly turned back, making an effort to look Kagome straight in the eye. "The one where you said you'd stay with me forever?"

Kagome thought back for a moment? How could she have forgotten? She had come to the feudal era to find InuYasha and Kikyo in each other's arms. It hadn't been the first time, sure hadn't been the last, and Kagome had run home. When she'd finally gotten the guts to come back, she had made a decision. A decision that she knew she could never change, no matter what InuYasha did. "Yeah." Kagome took InuYasha's hand in his. Ever since he had seen her and Sesshomaru together, well, InuYasha had been a little quieter than usual. Had he really been worrying about her? "You know I still mean it InuYasha. I'll always want to stay with you."

InuYasha took a deep breath. Kagome could see it in his golden eyes. He had made a decision, just as he had the day she had run away. Only this time, Kagome didn't want to run. She pressed his hand tighter, trying to squeeze reassurance from it.

InuYasha gave her a slight smile. "Kagome," Kagome's heart skipped a beat. "I want what's best for you, and if you want to not stay, if for some reason someone changes your mind, you should go. You don't have to stay for my benefit."

Kagome could hardly breathe. What had InuYasha said? What did he mean? What was he getting at? "InuYasha," Kagome said. Saying his name now, she realized how much she relied on it. It was her safety net. Whenever she and her friends were in danger, she always cried out for InuYasha, he always came.

But he hadn't come when she needed him most. He had been with someone else. So why was he talking to her about being in love? Then it clicked. "InuYasha," Kagome repeated. She scooted closer to him, releasing her grip on his hand and embracing him. As her head became level with his ear, she whispered, "You're my best friend." InuYasha seemed to relax visibly, as though a weight had been lifted. As she let go, InuYasha's smile widened.

"Thank you, Kagome." He gently placed his palm to the place where Kagome had embraced him, and for a moment, his eyes glazed over. Then he snapped out of it and lay on his back. "Are the stars still like a miracle to you?"

"You know it." Kagome lay back with him. It was good to have closure in a conflict that had befuddled her for years. InuYasha was her best friend, the greatest friend any girl could ever have. And now he understood and not pressured her about it. "So," Kagome started, tracing constellations in the air with her finger, "what brought on this little topic?"

InuYasha sniffed the air, wrinkling up his nose. "Oh, nothing much. But Sesshomaru's waiting for you by the well. He and I, well, let's just say that we've settled our differences."

Kagome immediately sat up. InuYasha had given her two beautiful presents in just a matter of minutes. She hugged him again. She started walking away, toward the well, but turned back with a smile. "You know, InuYasha, no matter what happens, you will always be my first love and my best friend." She turned away before she could see anything else.

:3

"I love you, Kagome," InuYasha said. As he watched her walk away. So, he had been right. He figured that Kagome and his brother had a crush on each other. Maybe more so than what he had had with her. As he watched her walk away, toward the place where Sesshomaru waited, InuYasha knew just what he was losing, and precisely what he was gaining in return.

InuYasha loved Kagome more than he loved Kikyo. But Kikyo had given up her life, pretty much because of his ignorance. If he had been a little smarter, a little more protective. If he had just accepted himself and his current state, they probably would have had something special. Instead she had died, both hating and loving him. Whatever Kikyo wanted, InuYasha had to give because of his code of honor.

But he loved Kagome. He had never felt this way before. And when Kikyo had come back, his old feelings, his huge crush, had come back with her. InuYasha, at first, couldn't distinguish between the two. His sorrow and crush toward Kikyo, his love and loyalty toward Kagome. In the end, his indecisiveness had lost him the most important relationship he might have ever had.

He still loved Kikyo, though. When Kagome had left, she had shown up, and as usual, InuYasha had run toward her. He wasn't in love though. He had gotten to know Kagome really well, where as Kikyo was a stranger in comparison. But he still loved her, too.

InuYasha felt ashamed every time he hurt Kagome with his actions. Probably the most when she had promised to stay with him. He had used that, thinking only of himself.

Then Kagome had disappeared.

And while InuYasha was off trying to fight his brother and everyone and also pay back Kikyo, Sesshomaru had protected Kagome.

InuYasha's job.

InuYasha could have never imagined the effect this would have had on his brother. Certainly, not what had happened just before his conversation with Sesshomaru.

InuYasha had been thinking about Kagome. About how she was with him, and yet so far away, when he had caught a sniff of Sesshomaru practically right outside the village. As always, InuYasha took off, ready for battle, but before he could even draw Tetsusaiga and utter a threat, Sesshomaru lifted his left arm up. Held in it was a stick with a white flag. InuYasha recognized it immediately as the symbol of peace, but seeing it in Sesshomaru's hand, well, that made him hesitate for a moment before letting go of his sword's hilt.

"What do you want, Sesshomaru?" InuYasha asked warily. Just because his brother had saved Kagome when InuYasha could neither sense nor see her didn't mean he had to trust him.

Sesshomaru stared at Kagome. What he was doing, it was unfathomable. Hadn't he been the one to clearly state on several occasions that he detested humans and all their kind? And yet, here he was, hopelessly in love. And now, he had to tell his brother that in order to get his trust.

Sesshomaru stared at the spot above InuYasha's forehead, so that it looked like eye contact, but it really wasn't. InuYasha knew the trick, and stored it in his mind for future taunts. Finally, Sesshomaru had spoken. "I love the girl, Kagome. InuYasha, please let me through."

In all his years of knowing his brother, InuYasha could not remember the last time Sesshomaru had used so many words in one sentence. And with that much feeling! Sesshomaru's eyes were soft and kind, but there was still that underlying layer of cold, unflinching hatred. He was the same Sesshomaru as usual, but, incredibly, in love.

InuYasha remembered the moment he had felt the same way. Kagome had changed him and yet kept him the same. She had helped him discover the wonders of life, and here was Sesshomaru, going through the same transformation.

_Only he doesn't have any past loves,_ InuYasha thought bitterly. And that's when he knew. Kagome had been silent because maybe, no, probably, she had fallen as deeply in love with Sesshomaru as Sesshomaru now was with her. So, he went to Kagome to confirm this. And she had.

So, InuYasha had done the hardest thing he had ever had to do in his entire life. He had let Kagome go.

So, now he was the one, sitting alone, staring at the stars. He would have to get used to Sesshomaru's presence, now that he and Kagome were lovebirds. Not to mention Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara would have to get used to everything. InuYasha sighed. What would the future bring now? No, now wasn't the time to worry about things like that. InuYasha decided there and then to take things second by second, because each one was too short and too long when you didn't want it to be.

InuYasha smirked. Seshomaru would surely rub things in at the next forced family reunion.

8D

Kagome could have been thinking about what InuYasha would do now. If he would run to Kikyo, if Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were having a nice dinner, if Naraku would ever find out about Kanna.

But she wasn't. She was thinking of Sesshomaru. Of the cards she had left him. Of his wanting to meet her. Of the puzzle that, in the end, she had pieced together to find, well, Sesshomaru. In all his majesty. He was still a mystery. All people are. But he was a mystery that didn't need to be solved. A mystery that could never be solved. And that, in itself, was the answer.

Sesshomaru thought the same of Kagome. Of the girl who had known what he needed. Of the person who had added crucial details to a plan he had once thought perfect. Of the priestess who considered demons her allies, who never judged, and always gave everyone a second chance.

When he saw her coming to the clearing, Kagome had stopped running. Maybe it was a girl thing, but she didn't want to seem as though she was really that eager. She waved when she finally reached him. "Hiya Sesshomaru!" she said in the voice of an angel.

Sesshomaru gulped. It had been one thing to tell InuYasha that he loved Kagome. Somehow, it was slightly more difficult to reveal this ever growing truth to Kagome. Sesshomaru consoled himself with the thought of rubbing things in InuYasha's face at the next forced family reunion.

"Kagome," Sesshomaru said at last. Kagome smiled. Same old Sesshomaru.

"So, what brings you to the neighborhood?" Kagome rested on the well, looking into Sesshomaru's beautiful, warm eyes. There was still a lingering chill, but that was Sesshomaru. Kagome was pretty sure that the chill was one of his favorite attachments.

In response, Sesshomaru held up Kagome's note cards. Kagome giggled. "So you finished them?" Her fingers tapped restlessly on the well's frame.

Finally, Sesshomaru stepped next to her, looking down into the well. "I know something that you do not."

Kagome stopped fidgeting. "Oh?" And, to her amazement, Sesshomaru jumped down into the well and disappeared into a blue flash. Kagome followed him down, to her time, to her shrine. Sesshomaru smiled. "Well, that was unexpected." Kagome said at last.

Sesshomaru's smile widened. "This Sesshomaru is full of unexpected things."

=D

That night, and for several nights afterwards, Sesshomaru spent his time exploring Kagome's world. And Kagome was more than happy to teach him about everything there was to know. He became one of her greatest study buddies, and more. Over the years, they worked together to finally beat Naraku, destroying the Shikon no Tama in the process. Still, Kagome and Sesshomaru crossed over, enjoying each other's company so much. Miroku and Sango got along fine, and, after their marriage, had several children. Miroku was so proud.

Shippo and Rin became good friends, but they grew apart when Shippo went off to train as a kitsune yokai, and Rin spent more times with the village boys than him. Kohaku, now free of the shard's power, visited his sister Sango often, playing with his nieces and nephews for much of the time.

InuYasha reluctantly gained a true feeling of love for Kikyo. It actually worked out perfectly for them. Kikyo never aged, and InuYasha barely grew older, so they lived well past Kagome's era.

One night, while Kagome and Sesshomaru held hands, looking up at the stars that Kagome so adored, Sesshomaru leaned down and whispered something to her. She giggled, rubbing her thumb on Sesshomaru's hand the way he liked it. Then, she leaned up, going on her tip toes, and kissed Sesshomaru. He willingly kissed back. Up in the sky, fireworks exploded and people cheered. "Happy New Year!" Kagome and Sesshomaru switched from the kiss to embrace, holding each other.

Sesshomaru had discovered something really special about the well that day he had jumped in. Whenever Sango, Miroku, or any of the others jumped in, well, they practically expected failure, whether it be consciously or subconsciously. Lord Sesshomaru, however, never had doubts. He would and could do anything for Kagome. And he did. He broke the well's barrier and managed to get to her time.

However, at some point, when he had jumped down immediately after the Shikon no Tama's destruction, something about him changed. He was no longer a demon! The well had transformed him into a human.

And Sesshomaru loved it.

And Sesshomaru loved her.

And Kagome loved him back.

In a time of their choosing, the made a home.

And a family.

And they were happy.

***Sniff* Isn't that beautiful Naraku?**

"**No. You know I hated it."**

**Oh, come on. It's over. It's time to express your true feelings.**

"**I-I LOVED IT! Oh my golly. It was just beautiful InuApril. Simply beautiful."**

**Oh, Naraku come here. Let's hug it out…Sucka!**

"**Hey, you shocked me!"**

**And that's the end folks. I hope you really liked it. By the way, Sesshomaru was just as cute as a human as he was a demon, so there are no worries there.**

"**I'm so going to get you!"**

**Yeah, sure. But it's the end, so no one will know. Bye, my loyal viewers! You guys are the greatest! And you, Naraku, you were pretty good too.**

"**Hey, that's what you hired me for. Now, pay up. I charge by the chapter."**

**Oh, will you look at the time?**

"**Wha-"**

_**Fin**_


End file.
